A Whole New World
by swimmergal06
Summary: Derek convinces Meredith to come to his family reunion with him. Set mid season 3 before the ferry boat arc
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this is my first Grey's fic, and I would really appreciate any feedback that you guys have to offer. I'm trying something a little different, and I hope you like it. Let me know what you think!  
**

Meredith entered her house after a long shift at the hospital, wanting nothing more than to curl up in Derek's arms with a glass of wine. She smiled slightly as she smelled a wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen and wondered what Izzie was cooking now. She dropped her bag on the floor and walked into the kitchen, stopping short at what she saw there.

Derek was making his way around the kitchen, checking on whatever was on the stove and in the oven, then moving back to the counter to cut some garlic bread. She watched him for a moment, stunned at how well he knew his way around her house, and really around her life. She had never let someone in as much as she had let Derek in, and she had gotten the best results she ever could have imagined. She was happier than ever, and she was just waiting for the right moment to ask him to move in with her.

Meredith was shaken from her thoughts as Derek turned to set the table and saw her there. "Hey," he said in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you to be home yet. I had a nice dinner planned."

"Mmm, I snuck out early," Meredith replied. "And you're the most amazing boyfriend ever. Thank you for being so thoughtful."

Derek pressed a kiss to her lips before he released her and turned back to the stove. "I like making you happy, Mer," he said. "I've been seeing a lot more of your gorgeous smile lately, and I want to keep seeing it."

Meredith sat down at the counter and reached for Derek's glass of wine. "Well, keep the compliments coming and you just might get lucky tonight," she said with a smile.

Derek poured another glass of wine and clinked it gently against Meredith's, then leaned forward and whispered seductively, "I would have gotten lucky tonight anyways."

"What makes you so sure of that, Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith flirted right back.

"Because you, Dr. Grey, cannot resist me," Derek replied as he lit the candles on the table. "And both of the roommates are on call tonight, so we can be as loud as we want and not hear about it in the morning."

Meredith laughed as she walked to sit down at the table. "Well, since that's the case then I suppose we don't have a choice," she said.

Derek followed her to the table and set a plate of pasta in front of her before sitting down next to her with his own plate. "Wow," Meredith said as she took a bite of the pasta. "Derek, I had no idea that you could cook like this."

He shrugged and reached for his wine. "Mer, it's not that big a deal," he said. "It was really simple."

"No, seriously, this is amazing, Derek," Meredith replied as she took another bite. "Where in the world did you learn to cook like this?"

"Well, when I was younger, I was sucked into my mother's cooking lessons with my sisters many a time," Derek replied somewhat sheepishly.

"Ah, so this is the result of being the only son," Meredith said knowingly. "It's no wonder that you turned out as sensitive and caring as you did, with all those sisters."

"Yeah," Derek said with a nervous laugh. "Speaking of my sisters…"

She put her fork down and stared at him, knowing that something she didn't want to hear was coming.

"Well, I talked to my mom today," Derek said cautiously. "And she started talking about the family reunion next month. She asked me if you would be interested in coming with me."

"Derek, I don't do families," Meredith protested automatically, terrified at the thought of meeting Derek's family.

Derek sighed and reached out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're going to have to meet them eventually," he said softly.

She stared at him for a moment, then said, "You sister hated me."

"Look, Mer, I don't want you to do anything that will make you uncomfortable," Derek said. "But Nancy isn't like the rest of them. She's my sister and I love her, but she definitely has a loyalty to Addison. She was the one who introduced us. But the rest of them aren't like that, and my mother's been asking when she gets to meet you."

"I know you want me to meet them," Meredith whispered. "And I want to make you happy, Derek, I really do. But I'm just terrified that if I meet them and they hate me, you're not going to want to be with me anymore."

Derek reached forward and grabbed her hands, holding onto them tightly. "Mer, that will never happen," he replied. "I will never ever leave you, do you understand?"

She smiled slightly and nodded. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'll think about it, Derek, but I can't promise anything."

Derek nodded and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I'm not going to pressure you into anything, Mer," he said. "Come on, let's finish dinner so we can get to dessert."

Meredith rolled her eyes and offered him a slight smile as she turned back to her dinner.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Derek woke the next morning alone, and he looked around the room for a moment before his eyes landed on a piece of paper on Meredith's pillow. He picked it up and scanned it briefly.

_Went to work early, had to talk to Christina. Love you._

Derek frowned as he read the note, wondering if she was freaking out about his invitation to join his family reunion. Knowing her, she was probably trying to figure out ways that she could get out of it, and he sighed, wishing that for once she would just trust him and agree to go with him.

Derek dressed quickly and made it to the hospital within the hour. He was ready for rounds just in time, and as he rounded the corner to the nurse's station, he heard Meredith's familiar freaking out voice. His initial instinct was to go to her and comfort her, but then he thought for a moment and decided to listen to what she was saying.

"I do love Derek," she insisted. "I love him so much it's scary."

"Then what's the problem?" Izzie's voice replied.

Silence, then Meredith replied, "I'm afraid he doesn't love me as much as I love him."

Derek sighed and leaned his head against the wall, wondering what else he had to do to convince Meredith that he loved her more than anything in the world, that she meant everything to him. He strained to hear the rest of the conversation, but his cover was quickly blown.

"Dr. Shepherd, I need a consult," Christina said, coming up behind him.

Derek looked at her for a moment, trying to give her a look that said he would be right with her. When that didn't work, he sighed and said, "Dr. Yang, I will be right with you."

She stared at him for a moment before she said, "Are you too busy spying on Meredith to do your job?"

Derek sighed and turned around to see Izzie and Meredith staring at him in disbelief. "Mer, I wasn't…" he stared. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't spying on you, I was just coming to get a chart and I heard you talking…"

She shook her head as she backed away from him. "Derek, I can't believe you were eavesdropping on me," she replied. "Don't you trust me at all?"

Derek stared at her as she walked away from him, wishing that he hadn't been as stupid as to assume that he could eavesdrop on Meredith without someone catching him. He was about to follow her when his pager went off. He looked down to see a 911 call and rushed off to take care of it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Derek walked into an on call room that night and collapsed onto the nearest bunk. He'd had a long day and Meredith had avoided him all day. He knew that she was mad, but she couldn't have stayed mad at him forever, and he knew that he was going to have to do some serious making up to her. As he lay in the dark with his thoughts, the door opened and someone entered, locking the door behind them. A moment later, a familiar small body slid onto the bed next to him, and the smell of lavender filled his nostrils.

"Hey, Mer," he said softly as he wrapped his arm around her, holding her firmly to his chest.

She looked up at him for a moment before she said, "Shut up, I'm still mad at you."

Derek laughed quietly. He knew that she was probably still going to be stubborn and not talk until he used the jaws of life to pry what she was thinking out of her. "I'm sorry, Mer," he whispered softly.

"It's okay," Meredith replied with a sigh. "I just…I don't know what I want to do about your family thing."

Derek looked down at her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Mer, I'm not going to pressure you into coming, you know that," he said. "But I would love it more than anything if you came with me."

"Okay," Meredith said softly. "I'll go with you."

Derek looked down at her, and she could see the happiness shining in her eyes, even in the dimly lit on call room. "Really?" he asked. "You really want to come?"

Meredith nodded, her cheek brushing against his chest. "Yeah," she said softly. "I'm going to be terrified, but I want to do this, I want to meet your family."

Derek grinned as he leaned down and kissed her. "It's going to be great, Mer," he said softly. "I promise, you're going to be fine, everyone will love you."

"You'll stay with me, right?" Meredith asked. "I mean, you're not going to feed me to the wolves or anything, right?"

"Yes, Mer, I'll stay by your side every second if that's what you want me to do," Derek replied. "You have nothing to be nervous about, they're going to love you."

Meredith shifted so that her body was aligned with his and slid on top of him. "You know, we did have a fight this morning," she whispered seductively.

Derek smiled as he brought his hands to rest on her hips, firmly holding her on top of him. "We did," he agreed.

She leaned down and kissed him passionately, her hands slipping under his scrub top. "So we've got some make up sex to have," she added as she began placing kisses down his chest.

They kissed passionately, and Derek reached under Meredith's top and unhooked her bra in one quick motion. As he moved to pull her shirt over her head, the sound of a pager beeping erupted through the room and they both groaned loudly. "It's me, 911, I've got to go," Derek said, kissing Meredith quickly as he slid his shirt over his head. "I'll see you at home, Mer."

Meredith watched as he rushed to the door, then sat up and asked, "Derek?"

Derek looked back at her as he finished tying his pants and made his way to the door. "Yeah?"

"Where exactly is this family reunion?"

Derek paused for a moment before he said, "Disney World." The door slammed shut behind him as he hurried out of the room, not wanting to see Meredith's reaction to that piece of news.


	2. Chapter 2

Derek tiptoed into Meredith's bedroom late that night. The lights were out and he could see her outline in the bed, and he could only hope that she wouldn't wake up as he got into bed. He knew he was going to have to explain the location of his family reunion to her eventually, but he was too tired to argue with her right now.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't with Derek tonight, and as he slid into bed, he felt the bed shift and Meredith reached up to turn on the light.

"Don't you dare think you're getting off that easy," she said as she turned to face him, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest.

Derek sighed and sat up, trying to take her hand. When she refused, he ran his hand through his hair and said, "Mer, it's really not a big deal."

"Disney World?" Meredith practically shouted. "Derek, I can't believe that you would even think that I would want to go to Disney World."

"It's the happiest place on earth, Mer,:" Derek replied. "You'll love it, I promise."

"No, I won't," she replied. "I'm dark and twisty, remember? Dark and twisty people do not belong in Disney World, I'll just ruin it for everyone."

"You won't ruin it for anyone," Derek replied. "Meredith, listen to me. I know that it may not be what you usually enjoy, but give it a try. My sisters all love it, and it's so much fun to watch the kids enjoy all the magic. And it's not all for kids, there's plenty for adults to do. I booked us at a separate hotel from my family, and if you get too overwhelmed we can just take a step back and do some grown up things. Please, Mer, give this a chance."

Meredith looked at him for a moment, and she could tell that he was really looking forward to sharing this with her. "You promise that you won't leave me to fend for myself?" she asked.

"I'll be by your side every second," Derek replied quickly.

"Really?" Meredith asked.

"Really," Derek replied. "What do you think?"

Meredith sighed, then said, "I'll go."

Derek smiled and leaned forward to kiss her gently. "Thank you, Mer," he said. "This means a lot to me."

"Yeah, I don't know what you're doing to me," Meredith replied. "I always swore that I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like Disney World."

Derek laughed as he leaned towards her seductively. "You know what the best part of this is?" he asked.

"What?" Meredith asked curiously.

"I've always wanted to know how much sex can be had in Disney World without getting caught," Derek said. "Now I'll get a chance to find out."

Meredith laughed and pushed him off of her. "You're dreaming, Dr. Shepherd," she said. "If you think you're getting any with your sisters and all those kids around, then you're going to have a very painful week."

"Oh, I'll convince you otherwise," Derek replied. "It's not that hard to seduce you. Especially when I give you that look you can't resist."

Meredith waved him off. "You underestimate me, Derek," she said. "I can resist the McDreamy look anytime I want." Even as the words came out of her mouth she knew she was kidding herself, but she hoped she sounded confident enough to not feed Derek's overactive ego.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was the morning that Derek and Meredith were to leave for Florida, and Meredith was running frantically around her room, making sure that she had everything. Christina sat on her bed, watching her with a look of disbelief on her face.

"I still can't believe that McDreamy talked you into going to Disney World with him," Christina said with disgust. "God, I hope Burke never makes me go there. I can't stand all that happiness and magic crap."

Meredith threw her blow dryer into her suitcase and flipped it closed, then sat down on top of it and tried to zip it closed. "I didn't have a choice," she replied. "I agreed to go before he told me where it was, and I couldn't back out. His family would definitely hate me if I did that. God, I hope I packed everything I need."

"Did you pack tequila?" Christina asked. "Cause you're definitely going to need tequila and lots of it."

"I can't bring tequila," Meredith replied. "If I show up to meet Derek's mother, his sisters, and their fifteen children with tequila in my suitcase, that's just a recipe for disaster. Nancy already hates me, I don't need the rest of them to think I'm an alcoholic."

"You're going to be in a land where there are always little kids around," Christina replied. "Screaming and crying and running all around, Mer, you're going to need the tequila."

"It's not necessary," Meredith replied. "Why can't I close this suitcase?"

Christina sighed as she threw herself back against the pillows. "I'm so glad that I'm not you right now," she muttered.

"Christina, I'm really trying to be positive about this, but I'm terrified," Meredith said. "And if you're not helping, so maybe you should just go home before I get more nervous."

"Fine," Christina said as she stood and walked towards the door. "Have fun with McDreamy in the land of McHappiness."

Meredith stood and held her arms out. "Aren't you going to hug me good bye?" she asked.

"I don't hug," Christina replied.

"I'm going to Disney World with my boyfriend's family," Meredith replied. "You need to hug me for good luck."

Christina rolled her eyes and moved towards Meredith. She hugged her quickly, then turned back towards the door.

"Bye," she called over her shoulder as she walked down the hall.

Meredith laughed slightly, then frowned as she turned back around and looked at the suitcase that sat on the floor in front of her. It was half zipped, and she had no idea how she was going to zip the rest of it.

"Hey, Mer," she heard from the doorway.

She turned and saw Derek leaning against the doorway, a smile playing on his lips. "Hi," she said as she turned back to her suitcase. "Can you help me close this?"

Derek pushed himself off of the wall and joined her as she leaned over the suitcase, pulling at the zipper with everything that she had. "What did you pack, Mer?" he asked. "We're only going to be gone for a week." Meredith glared at him, and he swallowed hard, suddenly afraid. "Sorry," he said. "You sit on it, I'll zip it."

Meredith obliged, and a few moments later, her suitcase was zipped. "Thank you," she said as she stood.

"You're welcome," Derek replied, kissing her quickly. "Are you ready to go, our flight leaves in three hours."

"Yeah, I've just got to grab my bag from the living room and then I'm good to go," Meredith replied.

"Okay," Derek said. He started to lift her suitcase, trying not to grimace. "You do know that you're going to have to carry this through the airport, right?" he asked.

"Only from the car to check in," Meredith replied with a wave of her hand. "I'm going to go down and say good bye to Izzie, I'll meet you downstairs, okay?"

"Yeah, I might be a few minutes," Derek said, over dramatizing the weight of her suitcase.

Meredith rolled her eyes and walked downstairs to where Izzie was baking a cake in the kitchen. She looked up and smiled as Meredith walked in.

"Are you leaving?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah, Derek's just brining my suitcase down now," Meredith replied as she stuck her finger in the batter and licked it.

"Have a great time," Izzie squealed as she walked around the counter and hugged Meredith tightly.

Meredith hugged her back. "Thanks, Iz, I'll try," she said.

"Oh, you're going to be fine," Izzie replied as she pulled back. "Derek will take good care of you."

"I will," they heard from the doorway. "Mer, I'm going to go get this stuff out to the car, hurry up, okay? We've got to be at the airport in forty five minutes."

Meredith nodded and turned back to Izzie. "Enjoy having the house to yourself," she replied. "Call me if you have any problems."

"I will," Izzie replied. "Now go have fun."

Meredith smiled and walked out the door. She stopped in the living room to grab her bag filled with things to do on the plane ride, then joined Derek outside in his car. She tossed her bag in the backseat, then slid into the passenger side. He backed out of the driveway, then looked at her as he began to drive. "You okay?" he asked.

Meredith took a deep breath and leaned her head against the headrest. "I'm not sure," she replied. "I'm really nervous, Derek."

Derek reached for her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it. "You're going to be fine, Mer," he said.

Meredith sighed and turned her gaze out the window, hoping that he was right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks so much for the reviews everyone, it makes it easier for me to continue writing. Enjoy the next chapter!**

Meredith and Derek were among the first to board the plane, and Meredith was astounded by the accommodations of first class. Derek smiled in amusement as he watched her settle into the large leather seat, sipping the champagne that they had been given upon boarding.

"I've never flown first class," she said, turning to Derek. "This is so much better than coach!"

Derek smiled softly, glad that Meredith was relaxing a little. She'd been constantly worried for the past few weeks, and he was glad that she was forgetting about his family for a few minutes.

Meredith turned to look at him and noticed that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. The sparkle that was usually present whenever he looked at her was missing, and she asked, 'What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Derek replied automatically.

Meredith set her glass of champagne down and looked at him. "Derek, come on," she said. "You're not yourself, and you're gripping the armrest so tight your fingers are white." She paused for a moment before she asked, "Are you afraid of flying?"

"No," Derek replied quickly, but she could tell he was lying.

"You're so afraid of flying," Meredith said, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice. "Derek, we're not even moving yet."

"I know," Derek replied. "I just…well, I rarely fly, but when I do I get a little claustrophobic." He swallowed hard as the plane began to taxi down the runway, and Meredith could tell that he was more than uncomfortable. He was really scared. She'd never seen him this way before, and she thought for a moment before she reached out to pry his hand off of the armrest.

"It's okay," she said gently. "Just hold onto my hand, I promise it'll be better than the armrest."

Derek swallowed hard and leaned his head back against the headrest. "I'll be fine once we're in the air," he promised. "It's just taking off and landing."

Meredith smiled softly and leaned her head against her shoulder. "Just don't think about it," she replied. "Think about…surgery. You know that rush you feel when you're in the OR? Try and feel that right now. And if you make it through take off without freaking out to much, we can join the Mile High Club. You can just look forward to that, okay?" She kept whispering in his ear for a few more minutes, and she gradually felt Derek's grip on her hand relax.

After a few more minutes, he turned to her and said, "Okay, I think I'm ready for take off now."

Meredith smiled slightly and squeezed his hand. "We're in the air," she said. "You didn't even notice when we took off."

Derek stared at her for a moment before he leaned over her to look out the window. They were in the middle of a cloud, and he couldn't even see the ground. "Wow," he said as he leaned back in his seat. "You're good at that, Mer."

Meredith smiled as she settled back into her seat. "I know," she replied as she picked up a magazine.

Derek cleared his throat, then leaned towards her and whispered, "So when do we get to join the Mile High Club?"

She looked up at him in amusement. "I wasn't serious about that," she said. "I was just giving you an image to distract yourself from thinking about taking off."

Derek stared at her for a moment, his face masked in disbelief. "Seriously?" he asked.

"You really thought that I would have sex with you in one of those bathrooms?" Meredith asked. "Seriously, Derek, you have got to work on that porny mind of yours."

Derek smiled softly as he leaned forward and kissed her. "I was nowhere near this prony before I met you," he said with a slight laugh. "I think it's your fault."

"I am so not the one who suggested that we see how many places we can have sex in Disney World before we get kicked out," Meredith replied. "But nice try, blaming me."

"We're going to be with kids, Mer," Derek said in amusement. "Nieces and nephews and sisters and brothers in law, and a mother. There's not going to be much opportunity at all for sex after this plane ride."

"Unless we're sharing a hotel room with all of those people, there will be plenty of time for sex," Meredith replied. "Now can I get back to reading my magazine or are you going to try and seduce me some more?"

Derek sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, staring straight ahead of him as he flung himself back into his seat. Meredith snuck a glance at him and giggled slightly, amazed at how much he managed to look like a five year old who had just been sent to his room. She went back to reading her magazine, trying her best to ignore Derek's not so subtle attempts at seducing her.

XXXXXXX

The plane ride was a quick one, and a few hours later, Derek and Meredith were driving from the airport to their hotel. Meredith had been silent as they picked up their luggage and got the keys for their rental car, and Derek knew that she was starting to get even more nervous about meeting his family. He reached over and grabbed her hand, then pulled it to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it.

"Everything's going to be fine, Mer," he said softly. "Don't worry. I'll be there the entire time so you won't have to deal with them alone."

Meredith sighed as she looked down at their fingers, which were still intertwined. "I know," she replied. "And I'm glad that you want me to meet your family, I really am. I just hope they don't hate me."

"They won't hate you," Derek reassured her. "But just don't think about them now. Take everything one moment at a time, and in this moment, we're arriving at our hotel."

Meredith's jaw dropped as she saw the huge white building towering before them. It was the closest thing that she had ever seen to a castle, and she was speechless as Derek pulled up to the valet parking.

"What is this place?" she finally asked him.

"The Grand Floridian," Derek replied. "It's their nicest resort."

Derek got out of the car and walked around to open Meredith's door for her. He smiled as he held her hand, guiding her into the hotel as she looked around in awe. He was glad that she seemed to like the hotel and have put her worries about meeting his family on hold for at least a few moments.

As he checked in, Meredith stood at his side, holding onto his hand and watching as families came and went, obviously caught up in the magic of Mickey Mouse's kingdom. They rode the elevator to their room, and as soon as Derek tipped the bell boy and closed the door behind him, Meredith let out a squeal of delight, running around to inspect the room.

"Oh my God, this bathroom is huge," she said. "We have a hot tub and a shower. And there's a coffee maker, which is a must. Look at this view of the water, Derek!" she turned back to the room and smiled suggestively at Derek. "I have some definite plans for this king size bed too."

Derek leaned against the door frame, smiling as he watched her be so excited about the room. He knew that she would loosen up once she got there, and he was glad that it was happening so quickly.

After a few more moments of exploring, Meredith walked over to Derek and wrapped her arms around his neck. She reached up and pressed her lips to his passionately, using her tongue to pry his lips apart and allow entry into his mouth. They kissed for another moment, Derek pressing Meredith's body close to his, never wanting to let her go.

When they finally broke apart, panting slightly as they tried to catch their breath, Derek asked, 'Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"For being you," Meredith replied with a shrug. "For trying so hard to make me comfortable on this trip. But Derek, as long as I'm with you, it really doesn't matter. I know I haven't been exactly nice about coming on this trip with you, but I'm really glad to be here with you. And I hope that I haven't been bringing you down so much. You've been so sweet, and I promise that I'm going to try to be less dark and twisty for the rest of the trip."

Derek leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "You're welcome," he said softly. "And I'm glad that you're more excited about being here, but I understand that you're nervous. It's a big step, meeting the family, but you know that nothing will ever come between you and me again. We're in this for good, and I hope that you will enjoy this trip."

"So what time are we going to dinner?" Meredith asked as she fingered the collar of his shirt.

Derek looked over her shoulder at his watch. "We're meeting everyone at Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney in about two hours," he said.

"Does that mean we have time to try out this magnificent bed?" Meredith asked, raising her eyebrows seductively.

"Seriously?" Derek asked, already feeling his excitement growing.

Meredith backed towards the bed and threw herself onto it, motioning with her finger for Derek to join her. He was at the bed in two long strides and he climbed on top of Meredith, kissing her fiercely and pushing her into the mattress. As they kissed passionately, any thoughts of families and amusement parks were erased as the couple lost themselves in each other.

XXXXXXX

"Tell me their names again," Meredith demanded an hour and a half later as Derek drove them towards Downtown Disney where they were meeting his family for dinner.

"My mom is Emma," Derek replied. "My sisters and their families all blend together, so it's okay if you don't know all of them by the end of the week. My oldest sister is Nancy, who you know. She's married to Greg, and their kids are Ethan, Becca, Dan, and Alyse. Next is Kathleen, who's married to Brian. Their kids are Caitlin, Michael, and Sarah and Melanie, who are twins. Then there's Elizabeth. Her husband is tom, and they have Andy, Christina, and Jenna. Last, there's Alexis. She's married to John, and their kids are Kelly, Kevin, and Kristen. I know it's a lot, but you'll figure out who's who eventually. And I'll be there to help you."

"How are we all going to eat dinner?" Meredith asked, hoping that they wouldn't be stuck in some banquet room with his entire family. She wasn't quite ready for that yet.

"Each of the adults takes turns sitting at the kids' table," Derek replied. "And the rest of the adults have their own table, their own conversation."

Meredith nodded, grateful that she would only have to deal with the adults tonight. She didn't have anything against Derek's nieces and nephews, but she was a little intimidated by the number of them.

"You promise you won't leave me alone?" she asked after a moment.

Derek smiled as he pulled into a parking place. He turned the car off and walked around to open her door. He knelt in front of her and said, "Mer, you're going to be fine," he said. "And you can stay by my side every second if that's what you need. "You know that I'll never turn away from you."

Meredith squeezed his hand tightly as he helped her from the car. "Thank you," she said softly.

"I love you, Mer," Derek replied. "I'm going to everything I can to make you comfortable this week."

They walked hand in hand towards the restaurant, and Meredith could feel the nervous feeling sitting in her stomach. She tried her best to ignore it, and turned her head to look at Derek as they reached the front of the restaurant.

"Der Bear!" they heard a voice call, and Derek cringed before he turned around.

Meredith turned to look at Derek, a smirk playing on her lips. "Der Bear?" she repeated, obviously amused.

"Don't ask," Derek replied before he turned back towards the direction that the voice had come from.

An older woman was approaching them, and Derek squeezed Meredith's hand gently before he dropped it.

"Hi, Mom," Derek said as he embraced the woman warmly. "It's good to see you."

"I'm so glad you finally decided to come see your family," she said as she pulled back. "It's been way too long, Derek."

"I know, I'm a terrible son and I should come home more often," Derek said with a roll of his eyes.

Emma smiled as she looked behind Derek to where Meredith was standing, nervously wringing her hands together. "You must be the famous Meredith," she said with a warm smile."

Derek reached behind him and pulled Meredith to his side, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Yes, Mom, this is Meredith Grey, the love of my life. Mer, this is my mom, Emma Shepherd."

Meredith smiled and reached her hand out for Emma to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Shepherd," she said politely.

Meredith was surprised as Emma pulled her out of Derek's embrace into her own. "It's so wonderful to finally meet you," she said. "You are all my son talks about, and I'm so glad that he's finally brought you out to meet the family. And please, dear, call me Emma. Mrs. Shepherd was my mother in law."

Meredith smiled, already feeling welcomed by this woman. It was no wonder that Derek was such a family man, he must have grown up with this kind of love and understanding.

"The others should be here any minute," Emma replied. "I know you're probably nervous darling, but it will be just fine, you'll see. Derek loves you, and that's all his sisters need to know to love you as well. Now, while we're waiting, I want to hear all about you."

Derek watched as his mother and Meredith walked arm in arm towards the nearest bench. He was astounded that they had clicked so well, but he was glad that Meredith seemed comfortable with his mother. He only hoped that his sisters would be as acceping.


	4. Chapter 4

**I want to thank everyone for their reviews and support on this story so far. I also just wanted to clear up some speculation that parts of this story have been taken from other stories. The ideas in this story are my own, and if there is any similarities to other stories, it is pure coincidince. Thanks for all your support, and I hope you all will keep reading!  
**

As Derek walked over to join Meredith and Emma, he heard a familiar voice yelling, "Uncle Derek, Uncle Derek!" followed closely by another voice shouting, "Andrew Carter! How many times did I tell you to stay with me?"

The little boy ignored his mother and Derek smiled as he knelt down to scoop the six year old into his arms. "Hey there, Andy," he said. "How have you been?"

"Uncle Derek, I haven't seen you in forever!" the little boy yelled, gesturing with his hands. "How come you didn't visit at Christmas?"

"I had to work, Andy," he replied. "But I missed you a lot. You've grown so much, you're such a big boy now."

"Mommy says that I help with my sisters," Andrew replied seriously. He looked over Derek's shoulder and saw Emma standing there, and his eyes lit up. "Hi Grandma!" he yelled.

Emma smiled as she stepped forward to talk to the young boy who refused to move from Derek's arms. Meredith stood back and stared at the two of them. Andrew was the spitting image of his uncle, right down to the dark curly hair and the shining blue eyes. She swallowed hard, touched at how at east Derek seemed to be with his nephew. She couldn't help but wonder what he was going to be like with their own children, and that thought scared her.

Andrew saw Meredith staring at them and asked Derek in a loud whisper, "Uncle Derek, who is that?"

Derek turned slightly and smiled at Meredith. "That's Meredith," he replied. "She came with me to meet all of you."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Andrew asked.

Derek laughed and winked at Meredith. "Yes, she's my girlfriend. Can you say hi to Meredith?"

"Are you going to marry my Uncle Derek?" Andrew asked Meredith, his eyes wide and innocent.

"Well, um, maybe, I mean if eventually we decide that's a good idea," Meredith stammered over her words, obviously not sure what to say in response. Derek interjected and said, "She'll be your Aunt Meredith eventually, but for now she's just Meredith, okay?"

"Oh," Andrew said with a nod. "Uncle Derek, can I get down now, I want to go see Dan and Mike."

Meredith watched as Derek set him down and smile slightly as he reached for her hand again. "Thank you," she said softly. Derek leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, then whispered, "You're welcome."

While they were lost in their own little world, more of Derek's family had shown up, and when he turned around, he was met with a blonde woman with a cheerful smile on her face. "Der Bear!" she cried as she pulled him into a hug.

Derek smiled as he hugged her back. "Hi, Liz," he said. "It's good to see you." He pulled back and smiled at the man standing next to his sister. "Hi, Tom."

"You don't even know how much trouble you're in with me," Elizabeth chattered. "I haven't talked to you in months, and Mom tells me that you brought a girl with you."

Elizabeth stopped short when she saw Meredith standing next to Derek. She shoved her brother aside and reached out to hug Meredith. "You must be Meredith," she cried. "I'm his sister Elizabeth, and this is my husband Tom. My kids are around somewhere, you'll meet them. I'm so glad that you agreed to come with Derek, it's so nice to finally meet you."

"It's so nice to meet you too," Meredith replied.

"Derek told me so much about you," Elizabeth replied. "And you're a doctor, that means that you'll fit right into this family."

"He told me about you too," Meredith said with a hesitant smile.

"Don't listen to a thing he said," Elizabeth replied with a wave of her hand. "I promise we're not as bad as he…" she was interrupted by a little girls with blonde curls tugging on her hand. Meredith smiled softly at the girl.

"Well, you are a beautiful young lady," she said softly. "What's your name?"

The girl smiled softly at Meredith. "I'm Christina," she said in a barely audible whisper.

Meredith looked up at Elizabeth before she knelt in front of Christina. "You know, my best friend is named Christina too," she said.

Christina broke into a smile. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, she's my best friend," Meredith replied seriously. "So that means you and I are going to get along really well, right?"

Christina reached up and took Meredith's hand, letting go of her mother's. Elizabeth blinked in surprise. "Wow," she said. "Usually she never leaves my side, you must have a magic touch with children."

Derek walked over to them, and seeing Meredith with his young niece made his heart soar. He knew that she was good with children, but seeing her interact with his family rather than a patient made it that much better. He swallowed hard, imagining what she would look like holding their daughter's hand, talking to her like she was talking to Christina now. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and said, "Mer, Kathleen wants to meet you."

Meredith followed him over to another woman, with darker blonde hair. When she saw Meredith, her eyes lit up, and she pulled her into a big hug. "Meredith, you are just as wonderful as Derek described you," she said. "I'm so glad that you're here!"

Meredith smiled as she hugged Kathleen back, already feeling more at ease with Derek's family. "Thank you," she said. "I'm glad to be here too."

"Derek, I can't believe that you didn't bring this girl home with you sooner," Kathleen said with a scowl at her brother before she turned back to Meredith.

She smiled as Kathleen looped her arm through hers and said, "My brother has a tendency to be an idiot sometimes, but from what I hear you already know that."

Derek opened his mouth to protest, but Meredith and Kathleen ignored him and walked away from him. Derek frowned as he ran a hand through his hair and turned to talk to Alexis. Meredith was fitting into his family better than he did, but he loved it.

Kathleen grabbed Meredith's hand as they walked to a quieter place on the patio outside the restaurant. "So, are you ready to leave my brother yet?" she asked. "I'm sure you're terrified."

Meredith shook her head. "No, I'm surprising myself, but I'm actually liking being surrounded by people," she said. "And I love Derek a lot, so it makes him happy that I'm here."

"So I want to know everything about your relationship," Kathleen said excitedly. "I'm so glad that Derek found you after Addison was around all of those years."

Meredith shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "It's pretty complicated," she said. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Oh, don't be shy," Kathleen said. "We're going to be sisters, so we might as well get to know each other really well."

"Derek didn't propose," Meredith said, a part of her wishing that he had, that she was really apart of this friendly family. "We're not getting married."

Kathleen waved her hand in dismissal. "Please," she said. "Derek's more in love with you than he ever has been with anyone, including Addison. It's only a matter of time before he pops the question."

Derek walked towards them and wrapped a protective arm around each of their shoulders. "Dinner awaits, my ladies," he said as he steered them towards the restaurant.

"What about Nancy?" Kathleen asked.

"She and her family just got here," Derek replied. He dropped his arms and laced his fingers through Meredith's. "You okay, Mer?"

Meredith nodded and squeezed his hand as they approached Nancy and her family. "Hi, Nancy," she said softly.

"Hi, Meredith," Nancy replied, obviously a little uncomfortable. "Um, it's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too," Meredith replied. "I'm glad that you're willing to let me be part of this week with your family."

Derek gave Nancy a grateful look as he said, "Well, I'm starving, let's get going, shall we?"

Kathleen turned to her sister and said, "You and Greg are on kid duty tonight, you got here last."

The entire group walked into the restaurant, and Meredith felt slightly relieved that Nancy would be at the table with the kids. At least for tonight she could get to know Derek's other sisters and their husbands without feeling threatened by Nancy.

Meredith turned to Derek as they entered the restaurant and said, "Look at all this movie stuff. It's so cool!"

Derek pulled Meredith's chair out for her and said with a laugh, "That's the best part of this restaurant," he said. "We can go walk around after we order if you want."

Emma reached for Derek's hand and said, "The first time we came to Disney World, Derek was ten, and he tried to steal the Tin Man's costume for Halloween."

Kathleen grabbed a roll and added, "We probably should have made sure that it was okay for us to come here tonight. Between Derek and Brian's attempts to hit on Cinderella when he was in college, I'm pretty sure we probably aren't Disney World's favorite family."

Brian heard Kathleen's comment and frowned. "I thought we weren't going to talk about that ever again," he said.

Elizabeth turned to Meredith and said, "As you can probably tell, the only thing that this family takes seriously is medicine. And since we're all on vacation, it's going to be a pretty crazy week."

Tom leaned in and added, "Don't worry, I know it's scary to be looking in at first, but you'll get used to it pretty quickly."

Alexis reached for her water and frowned. "We're not that bad. You weren't scared, were you, hon?" she asked.

John turned to his wife and said, "I was terrified. Especially when Derek found out that I was planning to propose and he told me that he would put me in the hospital, kill me, and make it look like an accident if I ever hurt you."

Meredith grinned at Derek, who was blushing furiously and slumped low in his seat. "I'm glad to know that you're serious about the medical code of ethics," she teased. Before Derek could reply, a waiter approached the table and everyone scrambled to figure out what they were going to order.

Emma pulled her purse out of her lap after the waiter had left and said, "Meredith, dear, I thought that you might be interested in seeing some pictures of Derek when he was younger. Now, this is him when he was four and decided that he wanted to start a nudist colony."

Kathleen grabbed her wallet and said, "I have one from when he thought he was Superman and wore his Halloween costume under his clothes."

Elizabeth was right behind them. "I have the one from Kathleen's sixteenth birthday party when all of the girls put make up on him and did his hair."

Alexis groaned as she said, "I left the one from his senior prom at home."

Derek looked at his mother and sisters with fire in his eyes as Meredith laughed over the embarrassing pictures of his past. He could feel his cheeks flaming, and he was half tempted to get up and walk over to the kids table.

Brian caught Derek's gaze and laughed. "It's okay, man, she loves you," he said. "She's just getting to know what you used to be."

The rest of dinner passed easily, and Meredith found herself laughing more than she had in a long time, most of the time at Derek's expense. Though he pretended to pout, he was really happy that she was so comfortable with his family.

Tom looked at the check and quickly scribbled down what everyone owed. It took a few minutes to sort out, and Derek set a couple bills on the table before he leaned back in his chair and put an arm around Meredith.

John set the check on the table and said, "Okay, it looks like as soon as the kids are done we'll be ready to head out.

"You ready to go?" Derek whispered in Meredith's ear.

Meredith nodded and they stood up. She smiled at him a sparkle in her eye, and he felt his heart swell, knowing that he had never seen her this happy, this relaxed before.

Derek turned to his family and started to speak when his mother interrupted him.

"I'm going to head back to my hotel now," she said as she stood. "I've got to get ready for a big day with the kids in Magic Kingdom tomorrow."

Derek hugged his mother and said, "Be careful, Mom, I love you.:"

Emma turned to walk out of the restaurant after she said good night to the rest of her children and grandchildren. Kathleen turned to Derek and Meredith with a smile on her face.

"It's so great that you guys are here," she said. "I know you probably want to spend some time alone together, but we'll see you in the park tomorrow."

Kathleen gave both Derek and Meredith a big hug, and they bid their good nights to the rest of the family.

Meredith grabbed Derek's hand as they walked away from the table, feeling happy to finally be part of the family.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Derek let go of Meredith's hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders, wondering if it was possible to love her even more after she got along with his family so well.

XXXXXX

Later that night, Derek sat in bed while Meredith brushed her teeth in the bathroom. "That wasn't as bad as you thought, was it Mer?" he asked.

"No," Meredith replied as she spit her toothpaste out. "Your family is really nice."

Derek moved to lean against the door to the bathroom. "They loved you," he said. "And so do I."

Meredith walked out of the bathroom and flipped the light down, smiling up at him as he cupped her face in his hand.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

Meredith leaned up to kiss him, then looked at his bare chest, running a finger over the hard muscles there. "You're pretty handsome yourself," she replied.

Derek reached for her hand and pulled her towards the bed. "Feel like showing this bed that you love so much a little more activity?" he asked suggestively.

"You a pervert," Meredith stated as she slid under the covers.

"It's all for you, baby," Derek said as he slid in behind her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and moved to cup her breast in his hand. "Come on, Mer."

Meredith rolled over to look at him. "Seriously?" she asked.

"Can you seriously tell me that you don't want to?" Derek asked.

Meredith searched his eyes for a moment, then asked, "Didn't you get enough this afternoon?"

Derek sighed. "Mer, you should know by now that I can never get enough of you," he said.

"Derek, I'm tired," Meredith said.

"Come on, Mer, I'm this close to giving you the McDreamy look," Derek replied, traces of the irresistible look beginning to show on his face.

Meredith sighed and leaned up to kiss him. "Well, if you're going to give me the McDreamy look," she replied. "You know I can't resist that."

Derek smiled as he pressed another kiss to her lips, then asked, "Are you sure you're not too tired?"

"Well, how many times to I give into the McDreamy look?" Meredith asked.

"Every time," Derek replied, a sly grin playing on his lips.

"Right," Meredith replied. "And this time isn't going to be any different."

Derek pressed her onto her back and into the mattress, already kissing a trail down her throat to the neckline of her nightgown.

Meredith sighed as she threaded her fingers through Derek's hair, wondering what kind of idiot she was to have thought she would ever be able to resist Derek. She gasped suddenly as she felt his lips on her most private parts and bucked her hips slightly.

"There," she moaned. "Right there, Derek."

They engaged in foreplay for a few more minutes before Derek finally slid up to kiss her lips again. She moaned loudly as she felt him pressing against her thigh and moaned, "Derek, take me now."

When Derek slid into her, they both stilled, feeling the perfection of the moment as he fit himself perfectly inside of her. After a moment of blissful quiet, Derek slowly began to thrust, knowing exactly they pace that Meredith needed to be pleasured the most.

As they moved together, Meredith looked deep into Derek's eyes, seeing the familiar passion and love, mixed with something else. She couldn't determine what it was, and when he began to pump thrust into her harder, she cried his name out in surprise, forgetting everything besides the feeling of him inside of her.

She reached her peak and screamed as she felt herself explode around Derek.

Derek followed Meredith over the edge, and as her juices flowed around him he released himself, thrusting clumsily into her a few more times before he collapsed on top of her, resting his head on her chest.

For a moment, they lay in the aftermath, Meredith holding Derek close to her as she ran a hand through his hair. Neither wanted to say anything for fear of spoiling the perfection of the moment.

Groaning slightly, Meredith finally shifted uncomfortably and whispered, "Der, you're kind of heavy."

He held her close to him as he rolled them over so that he was on his back and she snuggled close to him, her head resting on his shoulder.

Kissing him passionately, Meredith whispered, "I love you, Derek."

Licking his lips, Derek swallowed hard and whispered, "I love you too."

Carefully, Meredith adjusted herself to be more comfortable, preparing for sleep.

Before Derek could carry the conversation any further, he felt his eyes grow heavy and his breathing evened out.

Meredith drifted off to sleep as well, a smile playing on her lips.


	5. Breakfast at Mickey's

**I know it's been forever since I updated here, but if there's anyone who's still reading this, I would love some feedback :) Thanks everyone!**

Derek sat on the edge of the bed, tapping fingers impatiently against his thighs. He checked his watch for the third time in five minutes, then looked up and said, "Mer, come on. We've got to be at breakfast in a half an hour."

"I'm almost done," Meredith called from behind the closed bathroom door. "I would be ready already if you hadn't taken so long gelling your hair."

Derek frowned. "You love my hair," he replied.

Meredith opened the door and said, "I didn't say I didn't," she replied. "I said you can't yell at me if you're the one who took forever and a day to be done with your hair."

Derek didn't respond. He was too busy staring at the perfection that was the woman standing in front of him. In all the time they'd known each other, he suddenly realized that he had never seen her in a relaxed, vacation setting. She wore simple denim shorts and a white blouse, with comfortable walking sandals. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, with a few strands framing her face.

She was beautiful.

"Derek?" Meredith asked as she reached for her bag. "Are you going to come, or do you just want me to stand here so you can stare at me all day?"

"You're beautiful," Derek finally breathed. "God, Mer," he said as he walked over to her and pulled her close to him. "You're…you're just amazing."

Meredith smiled as she leaned into his embrace, not sure where he was going, but happy nonetheless. "Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder. "You're not that bad looking yourself."

Derek smiled as he pulled back to look at her. "You just look so…relaxed," he said. "I like seeing you like this."

Meredith smiled softly as she leaned up to kiss him. "I'm happy here, Derek," she said. "I really am. Now can we go? I'm starving!"

Derek laughed as he reached for his wallet and slid it into his pocket. "Let's go," he said, reaching for her hand. They walked down to the lobby, and Meredith frowned as Derek walked in the opposite direction of the front doors. "Where are you going?" she asked. "The parking lot is this way."

"We're not driving," Derek replied. "We're taking the monorail. It goes right through the restaurant where we're having breakfast."

"The monorail?" Meredith repeated. "Like in Vegas?"

Derek chuckled as he led Meredith to the monorail platform, just outside the hotel. "I guess," he replied. "Except these monorails are rated G."

"I figured," Meredith replied. She looked around for a moment at all the families, kids jumping around, excited to go into Disney World, and parents trying to calm them down so they wouldn't cause a scene. She unconsciously moved closer to Derek, resting her head on his shoulder as she thought that one day they might come here with their own children. The thought didn't scare her as much as it once would have, and she realized that she was comfortable with Derek, happy in a way that she never had been before.

"Hey," she felt Derek squeeze her waist softly. "You're awfully quiet. Are you okay?"

"Mmhm," Meredith replied, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. "Just thinking."

Before Derek could ask her what had made her drift away from him, the monorail sped to a stop in front of them, and they stepping onto the train, along with the rest of the people who had been waiting. They stood in the middle of the car, and as Derek grabbed onto a handle, he said, "You might want to hold on, Mer."

"I'm fine," Meredith replied. "I've been riding subways my entire life. I did grow up in Boston."

"Yeah but…" Derek's point was cut off when the train jolted into action, causing Meredith to lose her balance and stumble into his arms. He laughed slightly as she crashed into him and she finally regained her balance and shot him a glare. "Sorry," he said. "I'm not even going to say I told you so, because I know that will just get me more dirty glares."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "You were right, I was wrong. Happy?"

"Incredibly," Derek replied, reaching his free hand out to take hers. "You're cute when you're mad."

"Whatever," Meredith replied, but he could see the smile playing on her lips. She looked out the window as they sped through the Disney property, and before too long, Derek squeezed her hand and said, "This is where we get off."

The monorail skidded to a stop and Meredith frowned. "We're in the middle of a building," she said.

"A hotel," Derek replied. "We're going to Chef Mickey's for breakfast."

Meredith followed him to the escalator, and as they approached the restaurant, they saw Kathleen standing in line to meet Goofy, who was meeting with kids at the front of the restaurant. She saw them and waved them over, standing with Michael, Andrew and Dan. When Andrew saw Derek, he rushed over to him and said, "Uncle Derek, I'm going to meet Goofy!" he yelled. "Hi Aunt Meredith!"

Derek laughed as he scooped his nephew into his arms. "Well, I think you're only going to meet Goofy if you stay in line, buddy," he said. "Stay with Aunt Kathleen, okay?"

"Okay," Andrew replied as they approached the rest of the family that was waiting in line. Derek knelt to release Andrew and stayed on the floor, talking to his three excited nephews. Meredith watched him for a moment before Kathleen's voice interrupted her.

"He's great with them isn't he?" she said.

"He is," Meredith replied. "I always knew he loved kids, he's always so great with patients that are kids. But seeing him with his family…it's just amazing how much he lights up when he's with them."

"That's probably because he's still a kid himself," Kathleen said with a smile. "He may appear to be a famous neurosurgeon on the outside, but once you get him with all the kids, he's as bad as they are."

Meredith laughed. "I can imagine that he's the most stubborn of them all," she said.

"Of course," Kathleen said with a role of his eyes. "And then all the kids decide that if Uncle Derek is doing, then they can to. It's a disaster trying to get them all out of Mom's pool."

Before Meredith could respond, Derek stood and said, "I can tell you two are talking about me. You both have that, 'Let's make fun of Derek and make him look like a complete idiot' look on your face."

"Now why would we ever make fun of you, Derek?" Meredith asked in a phony sweet voice. "You're perfect."

"That's more like it," Derek said slipping an arm around her shoulders. Turning to his sister he asked, "Now do you see why I love this woman?"

"Get over yourself, Derek," Kathleen replied. "She's already one of us. There's no way to avoid it."

Meredith giggled as Derek looked down at her. "You're telling me that you'd rather join in with my sisters making fun of me rather than coming to my defense?" he asked. "I'm hurt, Mer, really offended."

"It's not like your ego can't take a little bruising," Meredith replied, tugging on his hand. "Come on, I'm starving!"

Derek followed Meredith into the restaurant, waving good bye to Kathleen as they walked away. He looked around for a moment before he spotted the table where his mother and sisters sat with their husbands and led Meredith over.

"Derek! Meredith!" Emma exclaimed as she saw them approaching. "I'm so glad you finally made it!"

"Hi, Mom," Derek said as he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "Sorry we're late. Meredith took forever getting ready."

Everyone looked at him for a moment before they burst into laughter. Derek looked at Meredith, who was also lost in a fit of giggles and asked, "What did I miss?"

"Derek, everyone here knows that you took twice as long as Meredith did just with your hair," Elizabeth said.

Derek's jaw dropped, and he asked, "What is this, let's make fun of Derek day?" he asked.

"You're an easy target," Alexis said with a shrug. "Did you think we were going to treat you differently because you brought a girl this time?"

"I probably shouldn't have," Derek replied with a pout.

"Aw, don't get cranky, Der," Meredith said with a smile, reaching for his hand. "Come on, let's go get some food."

Derek allowed Meredith to pull him over to the buffet, astounded at the amount that she heaped onto her plate. "Are you going to eat all of that?" he asked, looking at her waffle, three pieces of bacon, fruit cup, two glasses of orange juice, and pile of tater tots.

"It's an all you can eat buffet," Meredith replied with a shrug. "I always get my money's worth out of it."

"Well, I'm sure not sitting next to you on the roller coasters," he said as he scooped yogurt onto his plate.

"At least I'm not going to be hungry in half an hour," Meredith replied. "Seriously, Der, eat. You're on vacation, no one cares if you eat one unhealthy thing."

They had reached the table by the time they finished bickering about food, and Tom smiled at them. "You really have his number, don't you Meredith?" he asked with a smile.

Meredith blushed as she looked down at her food. "Well, we've known each other for awhile so…yeah, I guess I know him pretty well," she said.

"You're good for each other," Elizabeth declared. "And I like the fact that you can tell him to do anything and he'll do it. That will come in handy in the future."

"Can we change the topic, please?" Derek asked with a mock scowl. "I'm trying to enjoy my meal."

Meredith smiled at him and patted his arm. "Sorry," she said. "We'll try not to make fun of you anymore."

There were a few snickers from across the table, but Emma finally piped up and asked, "Alright, who has whose kids today?"

"Kids?" Meredith repeated softly to Derek.

"We each take a couple kids," Derek whispered back. "It's easier that way, without having a huge group of people. Is that okay? We can go off just the two of us if you want."

"No," Meredith shook her head. "I want kids." She suddenly realized the way she had phrased her words and stumbled, "I mean, I want kids to take to the park. Today. But they can go back to their parents after that. Not that I don't want kids someday, but today, just for the park. And I'm rambling, so I'm going to shut up now."

The rest of the table stared at her in amusement, and John finally asked, "Wow, did you even take a breath, Meredith?"

"Sorry," Meredith said softly. "I tend to ramble when I get nervous."

"It's adorable," Derek assured her as he leaned forward to kiss her gently. "I love it when you ramble."

They stared at each other for a moment before Nancy cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she said. "I believe that if we're giving you our children for the day, we would appreciate it if you paid some attention them rather than each other."

Derek opened his mouth to jump to a response, but Emma intervened, sensing a fight coming between two of her children. "Derek, you and Meredith can be in charge of Michael and Kevin for the day," she said. "Michael's old enough to remember last time he was here and decide what he wants to do, but just make sure that you don't take Kevin on any wild rides."

"Thank you, Mother," Derek replied with an eye roll. "I thought I would take a three year old on Splash Mountain."

Emma shot him a look and he immediately shrank into his seat. "Sorry, Mom," he mumbled.

"That's more like it," Emma replied. "Now, if we're all done, we should probably get going before the parks get too full."

The next few minutes were filled with chaos as Derek's sisters fussed over their children, deciding who was going to go with which adults and making sure that they had everything they needed. Meredith watched, wide eyed, as the eight parents tended to their fifteen children, and Derek smiled softly as he reached over to take her hand. "You okay, Mer?" he asked.

"Yeah," Meredith replied with a smile. "I'm glad we only have to watch two of them, though."

Derek squeezed her hand as Michael walked over to them, followed closely by Alexis, who was pushing Kevin's stroller. "Okay, I think pretty much everything he needs is in the back of the stroller," she said. "He's potty trained now, but there's some extra diapers there just in case. Make sure he drinks enough water and keeps sunscreen on, and he knows how to escape from the stroller, so you can't just leave him to turn your back, even for a second."

"Alexis, relax," Derek said, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "He'll be fine. You're going to have fun with your Uncle Derek today, right buddy?"

Kevin reached his hands up. "Up, Derek!" he cried.

"See?" Derek replied as he eased his nephew into his arms. "No problem."

"Okay. Bye sweetie," Alexis kissed Kevin's cheek. "Have fun with Derek and Meredith."

When she walked away, Derek turned to Meredith and Michael and asked, "Are you guys ready for the Magic Kingdom?"

Michael jumped up and down and cried, "Mommy said that I can try going on Splash Mountain this year!"

"Of course he did," Derek muttered. "We'll see how you feel when we get there," he told Michael. "Why don't you hold onto Meredith's hand so you don't get lost?"

Michael slid his hand into Meredith's and she looked down at the boy for a moment before she turned to beam up at Derek. They walked back towards the monorail together, ready to face their first day in the theme park.


	6. Magic Kingdom

When they got off the monorail, Michael immediately pulled Meredith forward, charging ahead of everyone around them. "Hurry up, Meredith," he cried, obviously frustrated. "We've got to get in there before anyone else gets in line, and Uncle Derek says I can't let go of your hand."

Derek smirked at Meredith as he pushed Kevin's stroller along. "Yeah, hurry up, Meredith," he echoed.

Meredith shot him a dirty glance before she turned to Michael. "Alright, here's your ticket," she said, handing him a plastic card. "Put it through the machine and make sure that you give it back to me right away."

She watched as Michael inserted the card into the machine, and a moment later it spit back out to him. Meredith and Derek both did the same, and they walked into the park.

"Munks!" Kevin yelled suddenly, bouncing up and down in his stroller. "Wanna meet munks!"

"Munks?" Meredith asked. "What's a munk?

"I think he means chipmunk," Derek replied. "Look, Michael, do you want to go meet Chip and Dale?"

"Come on!" Michael yelled as he grabbed Meredith's hand and dragged her towards the line. "They're gonna give the balloon away and we won't get a turn!"

They settled into the line which, fortunately wasn't too long, and within the next ten minutes, Michael charged towards Chip and Dale and hugged them tightly. Kevin, however, was less excited, and stood between Meredith and Derek, looking between the two of them with wide eyes. Noticing how scared he looked, Meredith knelt down and whispered, "Kevin, do you want to meet Chip and Dale?"

Kevin responded by wrapping his arms around her neck and burying his face in her shoulder. Meredith stood back up with him in her arms and looked at Derek. He nodded towards Michael and the characters, and she began to walk towards them. "Come on, Kev, let's meet them together," she whispered.

As she approached the characters, Kevin peeked out from Meredith's shoulder, and the two chipmunks came over to pat him on the head and the back.

"See, they're not scary, Kevin!" Michael cried. "They're our friends. They even give you high fives! Watch."

He held his hand up to Chip, who gave him an exaggerated high five. Kevin giggled and reached out to Dale, who did the same thing. Meredith smiled as she watched the two of them interact with the characters, giggling at their antics.

Derek stood back, taking pictures for a moment before he stood back and watched Meredith, amazed at how wonderful she was with the boys. She was going to be an amazing mother to his children.

"Would you like me to take pictures so you can join your family, sir?" a staff worker asked from beside him.

Derek smiled gratefully as he turned to hand him the camera, not bothering to correct him. If people wanted to think that Meredith was his wife, and Michael and Kevin were there children, he didn't have a problem with that. They would come here with their own kids eventually, and this was a wonderful preview.

Meredith looked up in surprise when she felt Derek wrap his arm around her shoulders and smile brightly at her. "We need a picture of all of us," he said in explanation. Meredith smiled and nodded in response, squeezing his hand gently.

Kevin and Michael were still playing with Chip and Dale, and the two boys stood in between the chipmunks for the picture, virtually ignoring Derek and Meredith. They watched the boys with smiles on their faces for a moment before they needed to let the next people in line take their turn.

"Uncle Derek, look!" Michael exclaimed as they walked onto Main Street, which was bustling with people. At the end of the street, in all its glory, stood Cinderella's Castle, the gold trim gleaming in the early morning sunshine.

"Der, look," Meredith breathed, echoing Michael's excitement.

Derek smiled as he squeezed her hand. "It's pretty cool, isn't it?" he asked.

"I never thought I would be impressed with Disney World," Meredith replied.

Derek laughed and moved to take Kevin from her arms. "Don't worry, you're going to get the Derek Shepherd version of Disney World, which, if I may say so, is probably the best way to do it."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she reached out to take Michael's hand. "Sure it is," she said. "Because you're the best at everything."

Derek's eyes began to sparkle, and Meredith could tell he was thinking dirty thoughts. "Save it for later," she said. "I want to go see this place."

They made their way through Main Street, deciding to explore the shops later in the day, and made a beeline for Cinderella's Castle. As they stood in the archway, Michael and Kevin looked around in awe at the colorful surroundings. "Wow," Meredith breathed softly. "It's beautiful."

Derek pulled her close as he looked at the expression of wonderment on her face. "You're beautiful too," he whispered in her ear.

Meredith smiled and leaned up to kiss him for a moment. "I love you," she whispered softly.

Derek felt his heart tighten with emotion. They didn't say those words to each other often, but every time he heard her say it, he knew that there was nothing more important in the world than the woman in his arms. "I love you too," he replied as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

They were lost in their own world for a moment before Derek felt a tug on the hem of his shorts and he looked down to see Michael standing there.

"Uncle Derek, we want to ride the carpets," he exclaimed.

Derek smiled as he released his grip on Meredith and reached for her hand. "I think we can manage that," he replied. "What do you think, Mer, you want to fly on a magic carpet?"

"Well, I can certainly manage it," Meredith said with a twinkle in her eyes as they began to walk. "But I don't know about you and your fear of flying."

Derek rolled his eyes. "We're ten feet off the ground," he replied. "There's more distance between the gallery and the floor of the OR."

Meredith shrugged. "Don't look at me to comfort you this time," she said. "I'm riding with one of the boys."

"Uncle Derek," Michael cried, pointing to a gazebo near the line they had just reached the end of. "Aladdin and the Genie!"

Derek looked down at his nephew before his eyes flickered to the wait time for the Magic Carpet Ride. "You have a half an hour wait here," he said. "I can take you and Kevin over there while Meredith holds our place in line."

"Okay!" Michael cried. "Come on!"

Derek reached out to take Kevin from Meredith's arms, but he tightened his grip around her neck. "No, Derek," he mumbled into Meredith's shoulder. "Me stay with 'Dith."

"You want to stay with Mer?" Derek asked, causing his nephew to nod. "Don't you want to meet Aladdin?" Another nod.

"I'll go with them and you can stay here," Meredith replied.

"Okay," Derek said, surprised that his nephews seemed to like Meredith even more than they liked him. Not that he could blame Kevin; his favorite place in the world was Meredith's arms as well. He was just going to have to make sure that he got his fair share of time there too.

"We'll be back soon," Meredith said as she reached down with her free hand to take Michael's and they walked over to the gazebo. Derek stared in disbelief at the woman who less than a week ago had no desire whatsoever to meet his family, and now she was completely comfortable being totally in control of his nephews. Of course the kids were far less intimidating than his sisters, but she seemed to fit right in with them as well. He couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face as he realized that there was still so much he had to learn about this remarkable woman.

"It never gets old, does it?" Derek heard a voice from beside him asked. He turned to see a man about his age, looking in the same direction.

"What doesn't?" he asked.

"Being a dad," the man replied. "That's my family there," he said, pointing to the family in front of Meredith who was currently socializing with Aladdin. "Being a dad…it's hard. We're the ones who hold the baby bags and wait in line while the rest of the family does something fun. But seeing the expression on their faces makes it completely worth it. You know what I mean?"

Derek swallowed hard, wondering how it would feel to one day have kids, children that were apart of him and apart of Meredith, to feel the way this man obviously felt about his family. He looked at Meredith as she conversed easily with his nephews and nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. "I think I do."

He continued to watch as Meredith guided the boys up to see Aladdin and Jasmine. He smiled as Aladdin high fived each of them, and Jasmine kissed their cheeks gently. When he looked back to Meredith, his eyes narrowed as Aladdin reached for her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. He knew it was ridiculous to be jealous of some stupid college kid dressing up as a Disney character for the summer, but he couldn't help the way his blood boiled whenever he saw another man look at her in the way that only he should be able to look at her. He could see the way in which Aladdin was eyeing her as she moved to take pictures of the boys with the Genie, and he didn't like it. He shook his head and stepped forward as the line got closer to the ride, and willed himself not to watch the rest of the interaction under the gazebo. If Meredith found out what he was thinking, she would call him an idiot and probably stop speaking to him for the rest of the day.

"Uncle Derek, I got my picture taken with Aladdin, and Jasmine kissed me!" he heard Michael yell as he ran over to him. "She kissed me right here!" he cried, pointing to his cheek.

"That's great, buddy," he said, scooping him into his arms. "We're next for the carpets, are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Michael cried, struggling out of Derek's grip to peek over the gate keeping them in line. Derek turned to Meredith and smiled brightly at Kevin, still nestled in her arms. "Did you like meeting Aladdin buddy?"

Kevin nodded, his eyes fixed on his cousin, who was watching the carpets turn in circles above the ground. "Wanna watch," he said. "Down, 'Dith, put me down!"

Meredith smiled as she set him on his feet and he ran to join Michael at the gate. "Ugh, I can't believe they people like that talk to children," she said softly to Derek. "He was so creepy, Derek. He kissed my hand! Seriously, there has got to be some kind of law against that, sexual harassment or something."

Derek smiled as he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. His eyes never left hers, and he saw her face relax into a smile. "How's that?" he asked.

Meredith giggled. "Perfect," she replied. "Thank you."

"Uncle Derek, it's our turn!" Michael screamed, already taking off for a carpet. "Come on!"

Derek laughed as he and Meredith followed the boys into the ride. Meredith sat with Kevin and Derek with Michael, both of whom were waiting impatiently for the ride to start. When it finally did, Meredith smiled as she watched Kevin stare wide eyed at the ground below them. "High," he said, turning to look at Meredith.

"It is high," Meredith agreed. "Are you scared?"

Kevin shook his head, but scooted closer to Meredith and reached for her hand. "You don't need to be scared," she said softly. "These carpets are magic. They're not going to let you fall. Okay?"

"Okay," Kevin replied. He scooted back over to the edge, but kept his grip on Meredith's hand. She held it firmly and watched as he looked out over the park.

Five minutes later, the ride came to an end, and Meredith lifted Kevin into her arms as she met Michael and Derek at the exit to the ride. "You look a little green there, Der," she teased. "Was that too much flying for you?"

Derek narrowed his eyes at her. "I knew having you meet my sisters was a bad idea," he replied. "You're way too comfortable making fun of me now."

"You love it," Meredith replied. "Where are we going now?"

Derek looked at his watch. "We have an hour and a half before lunch," he replied. "What do you guys want to do?"

"Candy!" Michael yelled, an idea that was quickly seconded by his cousin. Derek laughed and said, "I guess we're going to the candy store."

"The candy store?" Meredith echoed. "Isn't there a cooler place to go in Disney World?"

"You haven't seen this candy store," Derek replied. "Believe me, Disney doesn't do anything simply."

"Oh," Meredith replied. "Will you buy me candy too?"

"Maybe," Derek said coyly. "If you behave."

Meredith raised her eyebrows seductively, and Derek could tell exactly what she was thinking. He swallowed hard and tried to calm down, wondering how in the world this woman could make him completely and totally aroused by one simple look. He was going to have to learn how to get over this.

"Uncle Derek, come on!" Michael yelled.

Derek reached out to take his nephew's hand. "Alright Michael," he said. "Meredith has never been to this candy store, and Kevin's too young to remember it, so we've got to show them how impressive it is."

"Let's go," Michael replied impatiently. "I want candy!"

"Your mother is going to hate me," Derek mumbled. "It's way too close to lunch for candy."

"You're such a health nut," Meredith replied with a roll of her eyes. "It is okay to eat something with sugar in it once in awhile, Derek, you do know that, don't you?"

"Thank you, Doctor," Derek said. "You can explain this to Alexis and Kathleen when they're on sugar highs during lunch."

"I'll tell them it's your fault," Meredith replied. "You are their uncle, after all. I'm not even related to them."

"You are evil," Derek replied. He leaned closer and whispered into her ear, "Expect me to get my revenge on you tonight. Many times."

Meredith felt a chill run down her spine and she nodded. "I'll remember," she said with a nod.

"Good," Derek replied. They pushed past a few more people before Derek announced, "We're here."

Meredith inhaled deeply and smiled. "I can tell," she said. "It smells wonderful."

They walked into the store, and Meredith's jaw dropped immediately. They stood in the middle of a bustling, turn of the century candy parlor. There was an aroma of chocolate filling the air, and along one wall a tremendous assortment of candy filled the plastic containers, and people were busily filling up plastic bags with all sorts of candy. Ahead of her, she could see the most amazing sight of her life, a counter where homemade fudge was waiting to be enjoyed by someone, and workers were bustling around behind the counter, making more fudge.

"Wow," was all she managed to say.

Derek laughed as he squeezed her hand. "Go get some fudge, Mer," he said softly.

"How do you know I want fudge?" Meredith asked defensively, her stubborn streak coming out.

"Because you're looking at it the same way you look at me before I…" Derek was interrupted when Michael ran up to them with a cookie that was probably the size of his head in one hand and a bag stuffed to the brim with candy in the other. "I'm ready, Uncle Derek!" he cried. "Can I eat it now?"

"Not yet," Derek replied. "We've got to pay for it, but before we do that the rest of us have to pick something out."

Meredith had wandered over to the fudge counter and thought for a long moment about which flavor to get. She finally decided she was more than happy with regular chocolate, and wandered back to Derek with a wide smile on her face. "This is the best fudge ever," Meredith said. "I'm thinking of changing my residency to an Orlando hospital just so I can eat this stuff everyday."

"I'm going to veto that plan," Derek replied. "And I can't believe you were going to leave me alone in rainy Seattle to come down here for fudge."

"The most amazing fudge in the world," Meredith replied. "God, I can't think of anything better than this."

Derek's jaw dropped, and he knew that he had to distract her before his male ego got too bruised in the middle of Disney World. "Give me that," he said, grabbing for her bag. Meredith gasped and tried to grab it back, but he was too quick. It was shoved into the back of the stroller, and he stood protectively in front of it, a smirk playing on his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That's what you get for choosing the fudge over me," he replied with a smirk.

Meredith stared at him for a moment before she muttered, "Fine, see if you get any for the rest of this trip."

"Oh, I think I'll be getting plenty," Derek replied with a wink. "Just wait and see." His cell phone began vibrating in his pocket and he grabbed it, handing Meredith some money before he walked out the door to get better reception.

"Michael, don't eat too much of that," Meredith said as they inched closer to the check out desk. "We're going to have a yummy lunch soon."

Michael sighed dramatically as he closed his bag of candy. "Grown ups are no fun," he sighed.

"I know, but I want you to enjoy your lunch," Meredith replied. "I promise, it will be really yummy."

Meredith paid for the candy and walked out onto the sidewalk where Derek was just hanging up his phone. "That was Mom," he said. "They got an earlier lunch."

"Good, I'm just getting hungry," Meredith replied.

"Where are we going to lunch, Uncle Derek?" Michael asked as they began to walk.

"Tony's Town Square," Derek replied. "Have you seen Lady and the Tramp?"

"Lady and the Tramp?" Meredith repeated.

"Yeah," Derek replied. "It's the real life version of the restaurant in the movie."

"I love that movie," Meredith said softly. "It was the only movie I ever went to see when I was little. My best friend's mom took me."

"Oh, Mer," Derek said softly. He squeezed her hand and said, "You'll love this, I promise."

Meredith smiled softly, now anticipating all the memories of the first time that she saw the movie to come rushing back to her.

They walked a little farther, and she could see the restaurant in the distance. As they approached, Michael yelled, "Mommy!" and charged towards Kathleen, who was standing at the door with Brian. "I had the bestest day with Uncle Derek and Meredith. I met Chip and Dale, and Aladdin, and we bought candy and flew on carpets!"

Derek smiled brightly as he approached his sister. "Hey Kath," he said. "How was your morning?"

"Long," she replied. "Brian got sick on Thunder Mountain Railroad, so I had to take care of him and the kids."

Derek laughed. "Well, at least we're at lunch now," he said. "Which one of us is on kid duty?"

"Liz and Tom," Kathleen replied, hooking her arm through Meredith's as they walked inside. "How was my son?"

"He's great," Meredith replied as they walked into the restaurant. "He's a really sweet kid."

"I'm glad he was good," Kathleen sighed. "All the kids are usually pretty good for Derek, but he can be a brat sometimes."

"He was fine," Meredith replied. "It was Derek who almost threw up on the Magic Carpets."

The two of them burst into giggles as they sat down in the waiting area, where a few of the Shepherd kids were intently watching Lady and the Tramp. Derek rolled his eyes and looked at Tom for support.

"You should know better than all of us that those girls love to make fun of the men in their lives," Tom said with a shake of his head. "It was only a matter of time before she became one of them.

Derek smiled softly as he watched Meredith and Kathleen talking intently about something. "Yeah," he said softly. "It's only a matter of time."


	7. Chapter 7

Derek smiled softly as he stared at Meredith, knowing now more than ever that he needed to marry this woman. She was so incredible, and he couldn't believe the way that she had taken to his family. He had expected her to be fairly quiet and not part from him for long, but she was completely comfortable sitting on the couch, talking to his sister and cradling his nephew in her lap. Once again, Meredith Grey had completely taken Derek Shepherd by surprise and made him fall even deeper in love with her.

"Derek," he heard his mother say, and he turned to see her standing next to him, resting a hand on his arm. "We're already sitting. The rest of you should come join us so we can eat."

"Sure," Derek replied. He turned to see Meredith and Kathleen stand together, walking towards him. He reached for Meredith's hand, and his jaw dropped when she and his sister walked past him, so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't even realized he was waiting for them. As much as he wanted to be offended that Meredith had seemingly forgotten his presence, he couldn't deny the happiness that he felt at the fact that she had found a friend in his family. Kathleen definitely had a way of making people feel comfortable around her, that was the psychologist in her. And he couldn't have been more grateful to her for making Meredith feel like a part of his family.

"Thanks for waiting for me," he teased as he slid into the empty chair beside Meredith.

"I'm sorry," Meredith replied. "I thought you were already in here. Kathleen and I were talking and…"

"Mer, calm down," Derek said softly. "I was kidding."

"Oh," Meredith said, sitting back in her chair. A moment later she perked up and looked around the restaurant. "This place is amazing," she said.

"It's our favorite," Alexis piped up.

"Tom proposed here," Kathleen added, squeezing her husband's hand. "It was so cheesy and humiliating, but I loved it."

"It was my way of getting her to say yes," Brian teased. "I knew she wouldn't say no with the entire restaurant waiting for an answer."

"That's so sweet," Meredith said with a soft smile. "I'm sure you loved that, Der."

"I missed it," Derek said with a frown. "I was…Mark came with me that year, and we were…well, we missed it."

"They went to Pleasure Island and tried to pick up college girls," Alexis said with a giggle. "Then they realized they were old and got drunk."

Derek scowled. "I am not old," he insisted. "Those girls were crazy. Am I mistaken in that a handsome, successful doctor should be a catch for any woman? They didn't know what they were missing."

"Maybe it was your ego that drove them away," Meredith said with a giggle.

"I think it was the wedding ring that repelled them," Nancy said from the other end of the table, causing a silence to envelope the table. Derek opened his mouth to say something, but before he could say anything, their waiter came over to take their orders, oblivious to the mounting tension at the table. Each of them ordered quickly, no one sure what was going to happen after the waiter left.

As soon as he was gone, Derek turned to Nancy and said, "You can't talk like that. Not to Meredith. She knows about Addison, and it's completely presumptuous for you to think that you know anything about our relationship."

"Derek, you cheated on Addison with her," Nancy replied. "How is she supposed to know that that won't happen again?"

"Because he loves me," Meredith said quietly, surprising everyone at the table, especially Derek. "Derek loves me, and I know that it's different with me. I wasn't there at the beginning with Addison, and I don't know how they were at the beginning of the marriage. But I know that what Derek and I have…it's special, and precious, and there's no way that I'm letting it go. We didn't have just an affair. Derek left me, he tried to work it out with Addison, but he couldn't. Because what we have is amazing, and there's no way that either one of us are letting go of it."

Silence filled the table as Meredith looked around at the wide eyes of Derek's family. Suddenly she realized what she had said, and her eyes widened. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to be rude or disrespectful, I just wanted you to understand…"

Derek reached over and squeezed her hand. "Don't apologize, Mer," he said softly. "You're completely right, and they do need to understand that what I have with you is a million times more special than what I had with Addison." He turned to his family and said, "I did love Addison, you all know that. I loved her a lot. And we had fun together when we were dating. Since we had so much fun, it seemed like the next logical step to get married. But neither one of us ever realized what forever meant. We didn't have the same habits, and we both got too involved in our work. And when I met Meredith…I finally realized what forever meant. It meant never wanting to go to work because I wouldn't have her to myself all day. It meant watching her sleep at night, dreaming of our future. It meant that I knew that I wanted to spend every second possible with this woman for the rest of my life, and never have to let her out of my arms."

Meredith felt her cheeks flaming, partly from embarrassment, but mostly from excitement at the words Derek had just spoken. They rarely spoke of their future together, mostly because of her fear of commitment and their turbulent past, but she had to admit that it felt incredibly wonderful to hear Derek talk about their future together.

"I'm sorry," Nancy said after a long pause. "I didn't realize how you felt. Meredith, I really am sorry. This is just hard for me. Addie was my very best friend, and I introduced her to Derek, and I guess I just feel loyal to her. But I shouldn't have said what I did."

"It's okay," Meredith said with a smile. "I know you all probably built up relationships with Addison too, and it's okay to talk about her, really. She was apart of your family. I just…well, I hope that you won't let that stop you from getting to know me because I'm here instead of Addison."

Derek squeezed her hand. "You're right where you're supposed to be, Mer," he said softly. "I wouldn't want you anywhere else."

Emma smiled at her son for a moment as he gazed into Meredith's eyes, then cleared her throat. "Let's change the topic to something a little more cheerful, shall we?" she suggested. "After all, we are in Disney World, there will be plenty of time for this later."

"Here, here!" Derek replied, holding up his water glass.

A moment later, their meals came, and Derek ate in silence, trying to ignore the embarrassing stories Kathleen and Alexis were telling Meredith about him. As long as he kept one ear open so they didn't spill about the time he and Mark had worn dresses to attempt admittance to the girls' locker room when they were in high school, he would be fine.

The truth was, he had much more on his mind, and he was trying to figure out the best way to express to Meredith how much he really loved her. He knew of one way, but he wasn't sure that either one them were ready for any monumental steps in their relationship so soon after they had finally glued their relationship back together. But he couldn't help picture forever with Meredith, and it was a beautiful picture.

"Der," Meredith said softly. "You haven't said a word in half an hour. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Derek replied, shoving his last bite of pasta into his mouth. "You know me. Concentrating on food."

Meredith smiled as she hooked an arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for sticking up for me," she said softly.

"Of course," Derek replied. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't do that?"

"Good thing I'll never have to know," Meredith smiled as she reached up to kiss him.

A moment later they were met with groans from Derek's brothers in law, followed by coos of delight from his sisters. Kathleen smiled as she reached out to touch Meredith's shoulder. "As much as we hate to break this up," she said. "We have to go, the kids want to get back to the park."

"Fine," Derek said with a mock sigh as he and Meredith stood together. "Who are we taking this afternoon?"

"Alyse and Jenna want to meet Ariel," Nancy replied with a slight smile. "And they want their Uncle Derek to take them."

Derek groaned as he looked down at his two nieces, wishing they weren't so cute. He hated the Little Mermaid, but he couldn't very well say no to these two adorable little girls.

"What's wrong with the Little Mermaid?" Meredith asked, picking up on Derek's discomfort. "Does she show too much skin for you, Der?"

Derek scowled at her, and refused to answer. Nancy smiled slightly at Meredith for a moment before she said, "When they were in college, Derek and Mark decided that they were going to get her phone number. They got kicked out of Magic Kingdom because they were hitting on Ariel and making the kids who wanted to meet her wait too long in line."

Meredith burst into giggles as she looked over at Derek, who was sending daggers at his sister through his eyes. "There's some things that are better left unsaid, Nance," he said.

"Whatever," Nancy replied, shoving Alyse into his arms. "Meredith seems to think it's pretty funny."

"I'm a dead man," Derek muttered before he looked down at the girl in his arms. "What do you say, Lysee? Do you want to be my number one girl? You'll never make fun of me this much, will you?"

"Hey!" Meredith cried, stopping her giggling to pout at him. "I'm supposed to be your number one."

"You were until you joined forces with the Shepherd sisters in their game of 'Let's make Derek a little more embarrassed because he doesn't look ready to explode yet," Derek teased.

"Fine," Meredith replied. She turned to Kathleen and said, "He'll just wait and see what happens when he realize what making me number two means."

Kathleen giggled. "Withholding sex," she said. "I'm pretty sure you'll be back up to number one if you do some things right."

"Too bad I didn't pack any of my good lingerie," Meredith sighed. "I thought it was a little to inappropriate to bring to Disney World."

Kathleen giggled. "We can go shopping," she said. "One day we'll leave all the kids with the men and have a girl's day."

"That sounds nice," Meredith replied.

"Are you done making fun of me yet?" Derek asked, approaching the two of them. "Apparently this Little Mermaid won't wait."

"Come on, Uncle Derek," Alyse cried, tugging on his hand. "We're gonna miss her."

"Mer, can you take Jenna?" Derek asked as they walked out of the restaurant. He handed the little girl to Meredith as Alyse pulled him through the crowds to the small cave where the line for meeting Ariel seemed to extend forever. Derek sighed as he looked over his shoulder, his eyes immediately zeroing in on Meredith talking and giggling with Jenna, his two year old niece.

"Hey, Jenna," Meredith said softly, poking her tummy gently. "Do you know who you're going to meet soon?" Jenna giggled and pointed to the statue of Ariel that graced the front of the cave. "That's right, Ariel. She's the prettiest out of all the princesses, don't you think?"

"Hey Mer, come wait with us so we don't get separated," Derek called over to her. "Alyse wants to explain the story to her cousin."

Meredith smiled as she walked over to Derek and set Jenna gently down on her feet, holding her hands to keep her stable. She looked up at Derek and asked, "So you really hate the Little Mermaid?"

"Just the waiting in line for an hour," Derek replied with a groan. And then we'll have to wait to meet more princesses later. We're just waiting all the time."

"Is there something I should be worried about?" Meredith teased. "Because I don't know any other men who hate meeting beautiful women, especially ones that are dressed up as mermaids and half naked."

Derek laughed and squeezed her hand. "Nothing to worry about, Mer," he said. "I'm just completely happy with what I have."

"Good answer," Meredith replied as she leaned into him slightly.

Forty five minutes later, they were finally at the head of the line, and Alyse ran over to the rock where Ariel was sitting. "Ariel!" she cried. "You're my favorite out of all the princesses! And my cousin Jenna too, but she's real small. And this is my Uncle Derek and Aunt Meredith, they waited for a whole hour just so we could meet you!"

Derek and Meredith smiled as they snapped pictures of the girls as they talked to Ariel, and a few minutes later had to pry them from the cave. "Alyse, you know there are other little girls who want to meet Ariel just as much as you do," Derek said as he held his niece in his arms. "Now what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

"More princesses," Alyse replied.

Derek sighed as he looked at Meredith. "That's the Toontown Hall of Fame," he said with a sigh. "It's this way."

They spent the next hour and a half meeting the rest of the princesses, as well as Mickey mouse and the Winnie the Pooh characters. As they walked back to the main part of the park, Alyse cried, "Uncle Derek, there's Belle! She's the only one we didn't meet!"

"It looks like she's going to read a story," Derek said. "Do you girls want to go listen?"

"Yeah!" they both cried, and they walked towards the small garden where Belle was beginning to read a story. After settling the girls down, Derek and Meredith leaned against the iron fence that faced Cinderella's castle. They were silent for a moment before he said, "My family loves you."

Meredith smiled slightly as she looked down at her feet. "They're fun," she replied. "I feel like I've known them forever. Especially Kathleen…I think we're going to be close."

Derek reached out to take her hand and said, "you're so good with the kids. I'm impressed, Mer, really. They all love you."

"I guess I'm just a natural," Meredith said. "But sometimes…I'm terrified of turning into my mother."

"Oh, Mer," Derek said softly. "You won't ever be your mother. You care too much. I can see it."

Meredith smiled softly. "Now's not really the time to talk about this, Der," she said. "I'm not avoiding, I promise. I just…well, this is a vacation and I want to have fun, and talking about my mother is not fun, so just…another time."

"Another time," Derek said softly as he leaned in to kiss her, then pulled back as he realized that the girls were waiting for them at the gate of the garden. He led Meredith over to them and asked, "What do you guys want to do now?"

"Carousel," Alyse replied, pointing. Derek smiled and scooped her into his arms.

"Carousel it is," Derek replied as he walked towards the line. When he realized that Meredith was no longer behind him, he turned and saw her staring at him, frozen with Jenna in her arms. "Mer?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

She snapped out of her trance and smiled quickly. "I'm fine," she replied. "I just …carousels give me the creeps, but it's fine. "I'll deal with it."

Derek frowned in concern, seeing the true dislike in her eyes. "Hey girls, what do you say we go on the Dumbo ride instead?" he asked, pointing. "The line's shorter and we might have time to go on Winnie the Pooh if we go there."

"Okay!" Alyse cried.

Derek reached for Meredith's hand and squeezed it tightly. She flashed him a smile of gratitude and whispered, "Thank you."

"Anytime," Derek replied. "Later?"

"Later," Meredith agreed.

Content in their decision to talk when they got home, Derek and Meredith strode hand in hand towards the Dumbo ride that their nieces were anxious to ride on, happy to have each other and know that neither one of them was going anywhere.


	8. Chapter 8

"Derek, I told you that she would get scared on the monorail," Meredith said. "We should totally have walked to the next car where there were seats so she wouldn't have gone flying across the car."

"How was I supposed to know that she was going to want to look out the window instead of holding onto my hand like she was supposed to?" Derek asked, cradling Alyse close to his chest.

"She's four years old," Meredith replied. "What four year olds that you know listen to adults?"

Derek remained silent, knowing that she had won the argument. They were back at the Contemporary Resort, where they were meeting the rest of the family for dinner. They had just gotten off the monorail, which had terrified Alyse as she'd tried to look out the window and gotten thrown to the ground as the train jolted to a start.

"You're right," Derek sighed, hugging Alyse closer to him. "I'm sorry, Alyse."

Alyse wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed his cheek. "It's okay, Uncle Derek," she said. "I still love you."

Derek laughed. "That's why you're my new number one girl," he said, winking at her and ignoring Meredith's mock scowl.

Meredith rolled her eyes as she looked down at Jenna, who was sound asleep with her head on her shoulder. "She's dead to the world," she said gently. "I wish I could sleep like that."

Derek laughed and reached for her hand. "You do sleep like that, Mer," he said softly. "I've never met anyone who sleeps as soundly as you do."

Meredith smiled softly. "I'm sorry I snore," she said. "But I can't help it."

"I know you can't," Derek said with a smile as he reached out to pull her close to him. "And now that I have earplugs, I love your snoring."

"Mommy!" Alyse yelled suddenly in Derek's ear, causing him to pull back from Meredith with a grimace. She squirmed in his arms until he let her go, and she ran over to Nancy. "We met Ariel! And Uncle Derek wasn't even mean to her at all! Meredith told him that he had to stop being a big baby, which is silly, Mommy. Uncle Derek's the bestest grown up in the whole world!"

Derek turned to Meredith with a giant beam. "You hear that?" he asked. "I'm the bestest grown up in the world."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she handed Jenna to Tom. "Derek, your ego is seriously on the verge of bursting into a thousand pieces," she said. "Please, don't let the opinions of a four year old make it even bigger, because I'm going to be the one picking up the pieces after your head explodes."

"My head isn't going to explode," Derek replied. Then he frowned. "At least I hope not. Because I know you'd want the best to fix me, and I am the best. So that wouldn't work very well."

Meredith stared at him for a moment before she turned to Nancy and asked, "Has he always been this annoying?"

"Yeah," Nancy replied with a sigh. "But I don't have a choice of having to put up with him; he's my brother. You're the one who's dating him."

Meredith sighed. "I know," she said. "I keep telling him that he's not the best at everything, trying to shrink his ego, but I'm pretty sure it's impossible. I've learned to look past it."

Derek draped an arm around Meredith's shoulders and looked down at her with his McDreamy smile. "You know you can't resist me, Mer," he said with a grin. "You love me."

"God help me, I do," Meredith replied, smiling up at him. "I'm just kidding, Der, you know that right?"

Derek leaned down to capture her lips in his. "Of course I do," he said with a smile. "Believe me, Mer, I grew up being teased by all of my sisters. I'm glad that you feel comfortable enough with them to joke around with them, even if it is at my expense."

"Good," Meredith replied, stroking his cheek gently.

Kathleen walked into the lobby and smiled at her sister and brother. "Oh good, you're here," she said. "We put the kids in the children's center since this restaurant is a little fancier, and we can all eat together. Mom and Alexis are already in there, come on."

She led them all into the restaurant, and when they reached the table where the rest of Derek's family sat, Meredith gasped in surprise and squeezed Derek's hand. "Der, look," she breathed, pointing out the window to the view where the sunset framed the perfect view of Cinderella's castle.

Derek smiled as he held her chair out for her. "It's great, isn't it?" he asked. "We love the view from this restaurant, we come here every year."

"I can see why," Meredith replied. She smiled as she reached for the menu, wondering if this is what normal people felt like when they were with their families-content, excited, happy in general. If this is what Derek had grown up with, then maybe that's why he was happy all the time.

"What are you going to get?" Derek asked her after a moment of studying the menu.

"I don't know," Meredith frowned. "I want the salmon. But the lemon chicken sounds really good too. What are you getting?"

"I was going to get chicken," Derek replied. "You get the salmon and you can have some of mine."

Meredith smiled at him as she closed the menu. "Thanks," she said.

After all the food was ordered and they had their drinks, Elizabeth turned to Meredith and asked, "How did you like your first day in Disney World?"

"It was fun," Meredith replied. "Long, but fun. I never thought I'd even come here, but I'm glad I did."

"We're glad Derek finally brought you with him," Alexis replied. "He's been talking about you for months, and we thought we were going to have to go all the way out to Seattle to meet you."

"Which Nancy did," Kathleen replied. "Without even telling any of us she was going."

"Thank God for small favors," Derek muttered.

"You should come out to visit sometime," Meredith said, causing everyone to turn to look at her.

"Really?" Kathleen asked with an excited sparkle in her eyes.

"Yeah, Mer, really?" Derek asked dubiously.

"Yeah," Meredith nodded enthusiastically. "I mean, none of you have even been out to Seattle. And it's great. Really great. I have a little extra room at my house, so if some of you wanted to come I could stay with Derek at the trailer, and you could stay there. Unless you want to stay in a hotel, or if you don't want to come out at all that's fine too. And I'm rambling, I should really shut up now."

Alexis smiled. "I think it's an excellent idea, Meredith," she said. "We can leave the kids with our husbands and take a little trip out to visit our favorite brother."

Derek rolled his eyes. "I'm going to change my identity," he said.

"And we can decorate his trailer," Kathleen added.

"Seriously, I'm just going to disappear."

"And his office," Elizabeth added.

"I hate my life."

"I can't believe you went from that beautiful brownstone in the city to a hunk of metal in the woods," Nancy said to Derek.

"Maybe I'll jump from the top of Tower of Terror."

"He doesn't really live at the trailer anymore," Meredith replied. "He spends most nights at my house." She paused for a moment as she looked at Derek, who was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, a pout taking over his face. "Actually, we're just staying at my house until the house on his land is finished."

"What?"

"You're building a house?"

Derek turned to stare at Meredith in confusion for a moment, then sat up straighter and reached for her hand. "Yeah," he said. "Nance, you saw how beautiful that land is. It's the perfect place for our dream house."

Meredith squeezed his hand, grateful that he wasn't upset with her for making up a fake house. Of course now he was going to be throwing house plans at her as soon as they separated from his family, but she was pretty sure she could handle that. For some reason, she felt comfortable taking this step with him, ready to make their relationship more permanent.

His sisters stared at them for a moment before they all started chattering at once.

"I'm so glad you're moving in together!"

"Are you going to propose?"

"Meredith, I can help you design the house."

"Make sure the living room has a big picture window by the water."

Derek laughed slightly as he squeezed Meredith's hand, not wanting her to feel too overwhelmed by his sisters' eagerness to be involved in his life. "We just decided this," he replied. "We haven't even talked to a contractor yet."

"Yeah, we're not in any real rush," Meredith replied. "We have my house to stay in until everything gets settled on Derek's land."

Derek could tell that his sisters were getting ready to ask more questions, and as comfortable as Meredith seemed to be with taking this next step, he knew that the last thing she would want was his sisters telling her how to do everything, no matter how much she liked them.

"We're taking our time," Derek said, looking at his sisters but squeezing Meredith's hand to assure her that he was talking to her as well. "We're living at Mer's house right now, and there's no reason to rush things."

His sisters seemed to understand that he wanted to change the topic of conversation, but they exchanged knowing glances, sure that their brother was far more invested in this relationship than they had realized at first.

"Congratulations," Elizabeth finally said softly.

"Thanks," Derek said, giving Meredith's hand a squeeze. He knew that she wanted the attention to be diverted from them, so he turned to his mother and asked, "Mom, is everything still okay at the house?"

Emma recognized the change of subject and accepted willingly. She began telling Derek all about the renovations she had made to the house he had grown up in, sure to include details and stories about her sons in law trying to help speed the process along, only to slow it down.

Meredith sat silently next to Derek as the rest of the family conversed around her, wondering what the hell she had just done. She was terrified of commitment, she and Derek had just gotten back together, and she decided to tell his family that they were building a house together when they had never even discussed such an issue. She suddenly started to feel claustrophobic, and she coughed slightly, then slid out of her chair.

"I'll be right back," she mumbled to Derek when he looked up at her in wonder before she took off towards the women's room. Derek started to stand to go after her, knowing that something was wrong, but Kathleen put her hand on his shoulder and shoved him back into his seat.

"Let me go," she said. "She needs a minute away from you, as hard as that is to believe."

Derek stared after Meredith for a moment before he nodded, knowing that Meredith needed to think for a few minutes, and if he was always there, pressuring her to talk to him, it would backfire and she would never tell him anything. She was doing remarkably well for someone who had issues with big families, and it had been a long day for her. Of course she would need a moment to breathe. He settled back down in his chair and watched in concern as Kathleen made her way slowly towards the restrooms.

Meredith splashed cold water on her face as she breathed heavily, trying to get herself under control. She looked up when the door opened, and when she saw Kathleen enter she stood up and looked at Derek's sister for a moment before she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run away. I just needed a minute."

"Don't be sorry," Kathleen said. "I'm not trying to invade your space or anything, I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Oh," Meredith said. "I'm fine. Really. I just….meeting the family is kind of a big deal, and you have a huge family, and you're always there, wanting to help. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm just not used to it. Derek still hovers, and now I know that's just because what he's used to, but I just…I need room to breathe."

Kathleen smiled softly. "I know," she said softly. "And I think Derek understands that you need more space than he gives you. If you need space, just ask for it. Just don't…" she trailed off, wondering how to say what she wanted to without offending Meredith.

"Don't what?" Meredith asked, for the first time seeing Kathleen as less than the carefree woman she had gotten to know over the past couple of days.

"Don't run," Kathleen said. "I know I'm being intimidating and protective of my brother right now, and that's not what you need, but…I've seen how happy Derek is, and he worries that he doesn't make you happy. So…don't run from him, because I'm pretty sure that would kill him."

Meredith stared at Kathleen for a moment before she said, "I have absolutely no intention of running. I just…need to breathe."

Kathleen smiled and reached forward to squeeze Meredith's hand gently. "Take as much time as you need," she said softly. "Derek will wait for you, I know he will."

Meredith surprised Kathleen by leaning forward to hug her. "Thank you," she said softly. "For understanding. Sometimes I'm not even sure that Derek does."

"Try talking," Kathleen suggested as she squeezed Meredith back in a tight sisterly embrace. "He's good at that."

Meredith pulled back and nodded. "Talking," she repeated. "I guess I could try it."

"Good," Kathleen replied. "Now come on, the food's probably almost ready, and I promise not to let my sisters bother you too much."

Meredith smiled slightly as she followed Kathleen out of the bathroom and back to the table. Derek looked up at her with questioning eyes as she slid back down into the seat beside him. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"Mmhmm," Meredith replied, reaching under the table to rest her hand on his knee. "Later, remember?"

Derek sighed in relief, knowing that whatever Kathleen had said to Meredith had been effective. He flashed her the smile that he reserved for her only, and leaned over to her. "I love you," he whispered softly, then returned to his seat so quickly she wondered if she'd imagined it.

When she turned to look at him and saw his eyes sparkling back at her, she knew that she hadn't imagined it, and she reached over to squeeze his hand. "I know you do," she said just as softly.

He laced their fingers together as they turned back to the conversation the rest of the family was having, secure in the knowledge that she was going to stay put and they were going to talk through their difficulties eventually. For now, they both wanted to relax and enjoy the company of his family.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks so much for all the reviews, I love getting them! I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but hopefully after Christmas I'll have more time to write. Enjoy :)**

When Derek and Meredith arrived back at their hotel room that night, both of them were silent, wondering if they should talk now, or let it wait until they got home. They got ready for bed, the silence becoming louder than any noise ever could have been, and as Meredith slid into bed beside Derek, she looked at his back for a moment before she sighed and reached out to run her hand over his shoulder gently.

"Der," she whispered. "We should talk."

Derek rolled over to look up at her, surprise shining in his eyes, laced with hints of concern. "You want to talk?" he repeated. "I thought you wanted to wait until we got home."

"I did," Meredith replied. She moved to rest her head on his chest, and sighed, thinking for a moment as she laced their fingers together. "But…I think we should talk and enjoy the rest of the vacation. If we don't talk now, there will be all kinds of awkwardness for the rest of the week."

"Okay," Derek whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "We can talk."

"Good," Meredith replied.

They were silent for a moment, each wondering whether the other was going to talk first. After a long moment, Derek decided that since Meredith had made the effort to initiate the talk, he could at least guide the discussion.

"Are you sure about the house," he whispered into her hair.

Meredith smiled slightly. "Yeah," She replied. "I really am. I'm sorry I sprung it on you like that. I just…well, I didn't even realize I was ready until I said it, and then I freaked out. But it wasn't because I regretted saying it or it's not what I really want. I just…your sisters are amazing, but they can be suffocating."

"I know," Derek replied. "I'm so proud of you, Mer. A week ago you didn't even want to meet them, and now you're telling them about things that you didn't even tell me until we'd been dating for awhile."

"You were annoying," Meredith replied. "And you followed me around the hospital like a lost puppy."

Derek laughed slightly. "You should be glad I did," he said. "Otherwise we wouldn't be here right now."

"I am glad," Meredith replied. "There was a long time that I thought we would never be here like this, even after you left Addison…I just thought that things would never be like they were before she came."

Derek sighed into her hair. "I was going to tell you," he whispered. "That night…I was going to tell you that I was married and about to sign the divorce papers. I just…I didn't get the chance before she showed up. But I regret hurting you every second of every day."

"I know," Meredith said softly. "I forgave you for that a long time ago, Derek."

"I don't deserve you," he said. "You could do so much better than me."

"I had the choice," Meredith replied. "As much as I tried to work things out with Finn because I was afraid that I would get hurt again with you…I couldn't do it, because I love you Derek, and as much as it terrified me to give you another chance, I couldn't turn away from you."

Derek swallowed hard, realizing now how much he had truly hurt Meredith, and that killed a piece of him. He had never wanted to leave her, he had never wanted to go back to Addison, but he had anyways. He'd caused her months of pain and heartbreak, and now she was giving him another chance. They'd gotten back together weeks ago, but for the first time, he realized how truly lucky he was to have the most amazing woman in the world in his arms, giving him another chance.

"I'm so sorry, Meredith," he choked out. "I hate what I did to you. I made everyone so miserable, all of us. You, me, Addison…Mark."

Meredith lifted her head from his chest and propped herself up on her elbows, looking into his eyes. "Derek," she said softly. "Don't beat yourself up over this. I'm not going to say that it didn't nearly kill me when you went back to Addison, but I'm over it. I know that you're sorry, and I'm willing to move forward, towards our future." She reached up and ran her fingers through his thick curls. "You should too. We can't really move forward if you're living in the past, regretting what you did."

"I can't not regret it," Derek replied. "It was the biggest mistake I've ever made."

"I'm not asking you to stop feeling how you do about it," Meredith replied. "But you have to get past it in order to move on."

Derek nodded and rested his forehead against hers. "I'll try, Mer," he said softly. "I just…I can't promise that it will be better all of a sudden."

"I know," Meredith replied. "It will take time. But we'll work through it. Together."

"Together," Derek echoed in a whisper. "I like the sound of that."

Meredith sighed as she leaned back into the pillows, still staring into his eyes. She reached for his hand and played with his fingers for a moment before she asked, "Der?"

"Hmm?" Derek responded.

"I think you miss Mark."

Derek looked down at her in surprise, completely not expecting her to bring his former best friend into the conversation. "Mer, he betrayed me," he whispered. "I can't forgive that."

"You forgave Addison," Meredith replied. "You tried to work things out with her, and even though you couldn't, you're friends with her now. If you could do that, how come you can't forgive Mark?"

"He…I trusted him. And he completely betrayed that trust."

"I think he was in love with her," Meredith said quietly. "I mean, I wasn't there, but if he wasn't then, then he is now. I just…I wonder what would have happened if you had never caught them."

"I wouldn't have met you," Derek replied softly. "They would probably still be sneaking around on me."

Meredith squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to make you upset or have to relive that experience or anything. I just hate seeing you lonely."

Derek frowned. "I'm not lonely," he replied. "I have you."

"You do," Meredith said, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. "But, Derek, you need other people too. They're called friends. Someone to talk to, to go to Joe's with after work, to fish with."

"I can do all of that with you," Derek argued.

"Derek," Meredith said with a sigh. "I love you. I really, really do. But if I spend every second of every day with you, it's very probable that I will kill you. Besides, from what your sisters have told me, Mark was your partner in crime. I just…I think it would be good for you to try and work out your friendship with him."

Derek sighed. "Okay, Mer," he said softly. "It is very weird being here without him. Every year he's been here with me, I guess I do miss him a little. I just…I don't know if I can trust him again."

"You don't need to worry about history repeating itself," Meredith said gently. "I love you, Derek, and I would never do that to you. Mark's knows better anyways."

Derek tightened his arms around Meredith. "It makes me sick thinking about him with you," he said softly. "I trust you, I really do, but it's going to be awhile before I can trust him enough to know that he won't hit on you."

"He doesn't hit on me, Derek," Meredith whispered. "He knows how you feel about me, he doesn't want to ruin it again."

Derek frowned at her for a moment before he asked, "Have you been talking to Mark?"

"We're the dirty mistresses," Meredith replied. "We were both rejected by a Shepherd, and well…I just know what it feels like to be him. Alone, rejected, unloved. I just…I think you should try to start your friendship up again. For your sake as well as his. And mine."

Derek laughed slightly as he leaned down to kiss her. "You're amazing, you know that, Mer?" he whispered into her neck.

Meredith grinned as she shifted positions so that she could kiss him easier. "You're kind of amazing yourself," she replied as she straddled his hips. "Are we okay?"

"We're great," Derek replied as his hands automatically moved to her hips, dragging her body down to rest on his and making sure she could feel his growing arousal.

"Good," Meredith replied as she slid her hands underneath his T-shirt. "But I seem to recall you replacing me as your number one girl. Maybe I should take that into consideration before we take this any further."

She wiggled her hips against him for a moment before she rolled off of him and to her own side of the bed, breaking all contact between the two of them. Derek stared at her for a moment before he grabbed her around the waist and dragged her closer to him. "You are evil," he mumbled into her skin as he nuzzled her neck and tugged on the hem of her shirt. "You know that you're always number one, no matter what I tell my nieces."

"Good," Meredith replied with a giggle. She looked into his hopeful eyes for a moment, deciding it would be fun to tease him a little. She flopped back against the pillows and gave an exaggerated yawn. "I'm really tired, Der. I think I'm going to go to sleep now."

Derek's jaw dropped in disbelief as she rolled her back to face him, unable to fathom the fact that she was really rejecting sex. "I'll do the bendy thing," he heard himself say. "In the shower."

Meredith swallowed hard, suddenly wondering how long she was going to be able to play him. The bendy thing was her absolute weakness, and he knew it. She turned over to look at him, and before she knew what was happening, Derek swept her into his arms and carried her swiftly to the bathroom. She giggled as he set her on her feet and turned the water on before he turned back to her and dragged her as close to him as possible, kissing her passionately. He pulled her shirt over her head, and shoved her sweatpants over her hips, stepping back to look at her as she stood before him in all of her naked glory.

"God, Mer," he said breathlessly. "You're amazing."

"And you," Meredith replied, stepping closer and running her hand along his stomach where there was a small bit of skin exposed between his shirt and pants. "Are wearing too many clothes."

She pulled his shirt over his head and dropped to her knees as she pushed his pants down, smiling as his arousal sprung out of the confines of his pants.

"Mer," Derek gasped, pulling her back to her feet. "Shower, remember?"

Meredith grinned as she stepped into the warm spray. "Are you coming?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Oh I'm coming alright," Derek said with a sly grin as he stepped in the shower behind her. "And I'll make sure you come too."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Meredith giggled as she and Derek stumbled back towards the bed after quite a lengthy shower. "I can't believe we haven't done that since we got back together," she said with a sigh as she collapsed onto the bed, Derek following quickly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him as he nuzzled his face into her hair.

"I was saving it for something special," he mumbled. "It's not so amazing if I do it all the time."

Meredith giggled, then rolled over in his arms to face him. She stared into his eyes for a moment, threading her fingers through his thick curls. "Thank you," she whispered. "For bringing me here, for making me feel like apart of your family. I know I'm scary and damaged, Derek, but I'm trying to get past that. And this…well, this is helping. And you being here for me means more than you will ever know, so…thank you. For loving me, because no one ever has."

Derek tightened his arms around her, his heart clenching at the thought of Meredith growing up without the warm, unconditional love that had surrounded him as a child. He was going to make sure that all the love she had missed out on was made up for now, he would love her enough so she would feel more loved than most people find in a lifetime.

"Thank you for loving me," he whispered back. "For giving me another chance. And Mer, I promise that I will never hurt you again. And I will love so much that you will forget you ever were without love."

Meredith smiled as she cuddled into his chest.


	10. Chapter 10

**I know it's been forever but school has absolutely taken over my life. Please review if there is anyone still reading this! Thanks!**

Derek groaned when he heard a phone ringing the next morning. Without opening his eyes, he tightened his hold on Meredith and murmured, "Don't answer it."

"It's the alarm," Meredith replied, reaching over Derek to flip the phone open and turn off the alarm. "We have to get up now if we want to be on time for breakfast."

"We could just meet them later," Derek said, cuddling close to her and burying his head in her neck.

"Come on, Der," Meredith murmured, pushing him off of her gently. "We got to sleep in a little, they're coming here for breakfast."

"Well, we can just order room service and meet them before they go into the park," Derek said, lifting his head from her chest to press his lips firmly to hers. "And while they're bringing the food up, I have some ideas as to how we could occupy ourselves…"

Meredith giggled against his lips as she pulled him on top of her. "An excellent idea," she murmured, threading her fingers through his hair. "But I want to have breakfast with your family, so you better be fast."

Derek pulled back, looking into her eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. "You really want to spend time with my family?" he asked. "You're not just saying that because you think it's what I want to hear?"

"No," Meredith replied, sitting up as she reached out to cup his face in her hands. "I know I didn't exactly want to meet them, but now that I have…it's nice. It's like I'm finally part of a family."

"You are, Mer," Derek said, grinning widely. "I know you're not ready yet, but one day you will be a Shepherd."

"I know," Meredith replied, biting her lower lip as she searched his eyes. "And now, it's not as scary as it was before."

Derek's eyes began to sparkle, and he lifted one of her hands to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Meredith replied, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck and rest her forehead against his. "We have to hurry if we're going to be on time."

Derek shoved her down on the bed, his lips working on her neck as his hands snuck under the T-shirt she had worn to bed. Meredith giggled as she felt Derek tickle her sides gently, enjoying the new closeness they felt since their discussion the night before.

XXXXXXXXXX

Meredith pulled Derek out of the elevator as they hurried towards 1900 Park Fare restaurant, hoping that his family was lingering over the Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland buffet style breakfast. They had taken longer than they thought they would to get out of bed, and now they would be lucky to catch his family before they boarded the monorail to Epcot.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Brian said with a smirk as Derek and Meredith approached the table where his sisters and brothers in law were sitting. "It looks like you two have already experienced a little magic this morning."

Meredith blushed furiously, and Kathleen laughed as she smacked her husband on the shoulder. "Don't listen to him, we're just glad you made it in time for breakfast," she said.

"Sorry we're late," Derek said as he and Meredith sat down at the two empty chairs at the table.

"Let's just say that your alarm didn't go off and leave it at that," Alexis said with an eye roll. "I don't even want to know what really kept you."

Derek laughed as he looked at the rest of the table. "So which kids are we taking today?" he asked.

"Dan said he wants to go with you," Nancy said. "I think he thinks you'll let him on Mission Space. He doesn't realize that he's not old enough yet."

"Christina has been talking about Meredith," Elizabeth added. "So she can go with you today too."

Meredith smiled as she reached for Derek's hand, lacing their fingers together. "That sounds great," she said. "But I'm starved. What's the food situation in this place?"

"Of course you're hungry," Brian muttered under his breath. "Shep can't keep his hands off you."

"Can you blame him?" Tom muttered under his breath.

"Hey!" Derek, Kathleen, and Elizabeth all scowled at the two men. They looked up in shock, not realizing that the rest of the table could hear their conversation.

"You're idiots. Both of you." Kathleen said, smacking her husband on the shoulder.

"Big time idiots," Elizabeth nodded in agreement.

"What?" Brian asked. "It's like we're going to do anything."

"You're still stupid," Elizabeth replied.

"And considering the way my brother is looking at the two of you right now, I'm guessing you're going to be pretty quick to agree," Kathleen added with a glance in Derek's direction.

Meredith watched the interaction with an amused smile playing on her lips. She turned to look at Derek and grinned, knowing that nothing bothered him more than when other men talked about her. She reached over and placed a gentle hand on his knee, hoping to calm his searing eyes.

"Derek," she said softly. "They're kidding."

He tightened his arm around her as his face relaxed slightly. "I know," he replied. "I just…memories, that's all."

Meredith smiled slightly and rested her hand on his knee. "You know you don't need to worry about that," she said softly.

Derek flashed her a smile before he stood up and pulled her with him. "Let's get breakfast, Mer," he said.

They piled their plates full of breakfast food, then returned to the table where Derek's sisters and brothers in law were laughing over something Kathleen was saying. Based on the blush on Brian's face, Meredith concluded that she was probably telling an embarrassing story about him.

"So he decides that paying a plumber to fix the pipes that he broke was stupid," she continued. "And that he can fix the sink himself. And after three and a half hours, he figures out that the reason he can't get the pipe tightened is because he's using the wrong bolt and the wrong wrench. And then we had to shut off the water and shower at the neighbors for a week because we didn't call when I said we should, and the plumber got backed up and couldn't get to us until the next week."

"It's not my fault that you gave me the wrong wrench," Brian replied.

"Honey, even if I had given you the wrong wrench, you wouldn't have known it was the wrong one," Kathleen said with a smile in her voice. She turned to Meredith and said, "He thinks he can do things to fix the house, but he really can't."

Meredith smiled back at Kathleen. "Believe me, I know all about that," she said, her eyes twinkling as she glanced at Derek. "Your brother has had some experiences trying to fix things as well."

Derek's eyes widened. "Mer," he said. "Don't."

"Hmm, which one should I tell her, Der?" Meredith asked. "The time you decided to wire the electricity in the trailer, or the time you tried to install the new pipes in the bathtub?"

Derek's sisters leaned towards Meredith anxiously, wanting to know more about their brother's attempts to be handy.

"_You _tried to install a bathtub?"

"Did he really try to wire the entire trailer?"

Derek turned bright red and sank lower in his seat. "You're going to pay for this," he muttered to Meredith.

"Wait, we need to hear details," Alexis said, leaning towards Meredith with a grin on her face. "Did our baby brother really find something that he's not good at?"

Meredith laughed. "Well, in our bathroom we have an old claw foot tub," she said. "And the pipes were really old, so we had to stop using it and start sharing the bathroom across the hall until the plumber could come. But one day I got home from work, and Derek had had the day off. So I get home, and I hear all this crashing and swearing coming from upstairs. I walk into the bathroom and there's Derek, lying on the floor, surrounded by pipes and tools and completely soaked. The genius had forgotten to turn the water off before he undid the old pipes, and consequently flooded the entire bathroom, and the bedroom."

"I couldn't handle sharing a bathroom with your crazy roommates any longer," Derek protested in self defense.

"Well, thanks to your attempts at plumbing, we had to share the bathroom for a lot longer than we would have," Meredith replied.

"This is amazing," Nancy said with a final. "Baby brother, we now know what you can't do."

Before Derek could defend himself from the women in his life any further, Dan ran up to the table and cried, "Uncle Derek, you're finally here! You're gonna take me on Mission Space, right?"

"You bet, buddy," Derek replied, patting him on the back gently. "Are you ready?"

"No," Nancy replied before her son could answer. "You need to put sunscreen on."

"Mom," Dan protested as he walked over to Nancy, sighing dramatically. Meredith watched with a smile playing on her lips as Nancy fussed over her son. She glanced over at Derek, who was talking to John, then turned back to Nancy and Dan. Derek's nephew was a spitting image of him, and she couldn't help but imagine whether their children would look like him or her, or a combination of both of them.

She froze, suddenly realizing that she had been thinking about kids again. Maybe it was because she was surrounded by Derek's sisters who apparently reproduced like rabbits, or maybe it was because they were in Disney World and surrounded by happy children, but she suddenly couldn't wait to meet the children she would have with Derek.

Which was huge. Huge and scary because she had never thought she would ever get married, let alone have children. And she didn't even know when she had realized she wanted to have kids, and now she was picturing what they would look like.

"Mer?" Derek's gentle voice broke into her inner rambling. "Are you okay?"

Meredith snapped back to reality and smiled at him, realizing that Dan was standing impatiently between Derek's chair and Christina's stroller, and the rest of the family was getting ready to leave the restaurant.

"Yeah," she said, shaking her head as she got to her feet. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

Derek smiled as he got to his feet as well. "Good thoughts, I hope."

Meredith flashed him a smile as she pulled Christina into her arms. "They were," she assured him, looking down at the little girl in her arms. "Are you ready for another day in Disney, Christina?" she asked, her attention focused solely on her.

Christina's eyes lit up and she began telling Meredith about everything that had happened the day before, and everything she wanted to do today. Meredith listened with rapt attention, as if the ramblings of a three year old were the most important thing in the world, no matter that her words didn't even make sense. Derek watched in fascination, wondering what had sparked Meredith's sudden interest in children. She'd been great with the other kids all week, but she seemed more at ease now-almost motherly. And he had to admit that it was a nice picture. Maybe she was warming up to the idea of having kids.

"Uncle Derek, are we ever going to go?" Dan whined, tugging on Derek's hand. "We're going to have to wait forever in line because you won't stop talking!"

Derek laughed as he reached to ruffle his nephew's hair. "Sorry, bud," he said. "We're leaving now." He turned to Meredith and asked, "Are you ready Mer?"

"Yep," Meredith said, following them out of the restaurant. They rode the monorail to the entrance of Epcot, and as they got off the train, Derek laughed at Meredith's expression. She stood next to him staring at the garden of Disney character shrubbery which paled in comparison to the massive, entirely round structure that loomed over their heads.

"Wow," was all she managed to say.

Derek laughed as he reached out to lace his fingers through hers. "Come on, Mer," he said as he gently pulled her towards the entrance. "I think you're really going to like it here."

Meredith followed him, each of them holding onto a kid's hand with their free hands, and when they entered the park, Dan began bouncing up and down. "Can we go in the golf ball, Uncle Derek?" he cried.

Derek smiled and nodded, leading them over to the line. "Sure, bud, this is your day. We can do whatever you want," he said, secretly glad his nephew had seemed to have abandoned the idea of riding Mission Space. The last thing he needed was Dan getting sick on the ride and having to walk around all day with messy clothes. Although Meredith would probably think it was hilarious, that definitely wasn't how he wanted to spend the day.

The line moved fairly quickly, and a half hour later they climbed into the seats that would transport them back to the beginning of time and take them through time and into the future. As the ride began to move, Derek looked over his shoulder at Meredith, who was sitting behind him with Christina, identical expressions of awe plastered across each of their faces. He grinned, happy that she was finally letting go of some of her insecurities and allowing herself to reach the amazing potential she had. He turned back around to face forward, unable to wonder what in the world could have been better than bringing Meredith here with him. He was going to have to thank his mother for finally bothering him enough to bring Meredith to meet the family.

When the ride was over, Derek immediately turned to Meredith and pulled Christina into his arms before lacing his fingers through hers and squeezing her hand. Meredith smiled at him and made sure Dan was with them as they walked out of the ride into the blazing Florida sun. "Where to now, Dan?" Derek asked, knowing that his nephew was eager to plan the day.

Dan thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Nemo!" he cried. "I want to go see Nemo!"

"Alright bud, let's go see Nemo," Derek said. "It's this way."

He led the way to the Finding Nemo exhibit, glancing at Meredith every once in awhile. She was quiet, but he was pretty sure she was just overwhelmed with the massive park and his massive family. Maybe he would see about separating from the rest of his family for the rest of the afternoon to give them some alone time and allow her a well earned break from his sisters and their families.

"We're here!" Dan cried. "Come on, Christina, we have to go!"

Christina giggled as Derek set her on the ground and Dan took her hand, leading her to the line. Derek and Meredith followed, smiling as the kids looked into the tanks that lined the walls of the exhibit, filled with all kinds of sea creatures.

Derek looked up when Meredith let go of his hand to loop her arms around his neck. "You're awfully quiet," she said. "Is everything okay?"

Derek grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm wonderful," he said. "I've just been thinking about how amazingly wonderful you are."

Meredith leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. "I'm trying, Der," she said softly.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her nose. "And you're doing an incredible job," he replied. "I can't believe how easily you morphed into a family person."

"Your family makes it easy," she said with a shrug. "And it's easy to be a family person here. When we come here with our kids…" she suddenly stopped, realizing she had slipped. She tried to read Derek's facial expression as she bit her lower lip, hoping that he wouldn't have some weird reaction to her news.

"Mer," he said softly. "Did you just…kids? You want kids? Seriously?"

She giggled softly. "Yeah," she said. "I mean not for a long time. Like a really long time because we're not even engaged yet, but I was thinking about it this morning, and you'd be such an amazing dad, and I want to marry you…so yeah, kids, eventually."

Derek leaned forward and kissed her passionately. "I think I just fell in love with you even more, Meredith Grey," he said softly.

She giggled against his lips, causing him to pull away and look at her, searching her features with a smile playing on his lips. She blushed slightly under the scrutiny of his gaze and asked, "what?"

Derek smiled. "You giggle," he said. "I mean, I know you giggle, I've heard you laugh before. But…I've heard this adorable giggle from you this week that I've never heard from you before. And I love it."

"Derek, I did not get a new laugh just because I came with you to meet your family," Meredith replied, rolling her eyes.

"I think you did," he said. "You, Meredith, are growing."

"Growing?" Meredith asked, looking at him as if he'd gone crazy. "Derek, what are you talking about?"

"You're letting go of all the insecurities you have," Derek replied. "You're allowing yourself to let me in easier, you're wonderful with my nieces and nephews, and now you want kids of your own. Less than a week ago you would have freaked out and slept on Christina's couch if I had brought up kids. You're growing."

Meredith sighed. "I guess I am," she replied. "I just…Seattle has a lot of baggage for me, Der, with my mom, and you and Addison…I guess it's just not the happiest place for me to be. And I forgot what the sun looked like," she added with a giggle.

"There it is," Derek replied. "Mer…" before he could finish his thought, the line began moving, and he sighed. "Crap. I guess it's not the best idea to have discussions like this in the middle of a Finding Nemo line."

She giggled again as she took his hand. "We do need to talk, Der," she said. "And we will, I promise. But let's just enjoy this right now. We can talk tonight."

"Okay," Derek replied, leading her into the ride.

The next twenty minutes were spent laughing as they watched Dan and Christina watch in awe as Crush the turtle addressed anyone who asked him a question. As they walked out of the attraction a half an hour later, Dan was astounded.

"But how does he know it's me?" Dan asked, holding onto Derek's hand as they walked out of the ride.

"I don't know," Derek replied. "I guess Crush just knows everything."

Christina giggled as she rested her head on Meredith's shoulder. "Uncle Der's silly," she said. "Turtle doesn't talk."

Meredith laughed as she looked over Christina's head at Derek. "You're right, Christina," she said with a smirk. "Your Uncle is very silly."

Derek narrowed his eyes at her, but before he could say anything else, Dan's eyes widened in excitement and he dragged Derek over to another ride. "Figment!" he yelled. "Come on, we gotta go on!"

Derek laughed as he caught up with his nephew, glancing behind him to make sure Meredith was following closely behind with Christina. They boarded the ride, with a kid on each side, Derek and Meredith cuddling closely in the middle. Neither one of them paid very much attention as they moved through various experiments testing the five senses, causing the kids to giggle and cry out in excitement. Both of them were still thinking about their conversation from earlier, and they were content to simply sit close to one another and revel in the fact that for the first time in their relationship, they were finally on the same page. Meredith rested her head on Derek's shoulder and squeezed his hand, making him even more certain that they were going to be fine, and she was everything he would ever want.

As they left the ride a half an hour later, Derek pushed Christina's stroller and laced his free hand through Meredith's, Dan skipping along a few steps ahead of them. "Can we go on Mission Space now, Uncle Derek?" he asked.

"Oh," Derek replied, glancing towards the line, the wait time reading an hour and forty five minutes. As he tried to fumble for an excuse, his eyes caught on the height requirement, which was a good half foot over Dan's head. He swallowed hard, wondering how he was going to get out of this one without a temper tantrum when Meredith intercepted.

"Hey Dan, it's time for lunch right now, but maybe your dad will take you on Mission Space after?" she said, crouching down to be eye level. "How does that sound?"

Dan frowned. "But I want to go on now," he said.

"I know," Meredith replied. "But it's a very long wait, almost two hours. And I know you really want to go on this ride, but how about we go to lunch and have some mac and cheese and milk, and then maybe go on this afternoon?"

Dan sighed dramatically. "Alright," he said. "Are we going to lunch now?"

Derek had watched this interaction in complete awe, and when Dan had grudgingly agreed to go to lunch, his jaw dropped in complete shock. Meredith rolled her eyes at him as she stood and asked, "Der, where are we going to lunch?"

Derek managed to recover his shock at how Meredith had so easily reasoned with Dan and replied, "We're eating in China."

Meredith narrowed her eyes at him. "China?" she repeated. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Come on," Derek replied with a smile. "The rest of Epcot is divided into different countries of the world. We always eat at the Chinese restaurant."

"Oh," Meredith replied with a nod, wondering how she was going to stomach Chinese food. She had never been able to stand it, but if that was where Derek's family wanted to eat, that was where she would eat.

Derek noticed her sudden deflation and stopped walking. "Oh, Mer," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I forgot…"

Meredith waved a hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it," she replied. "It's fine."

"You hate Chinese food."

"I'm not really that hungry anyways," she said with a shrug. "Derek, it's fine, forget it."

Derek knew that look, the one that meant if he didn't stop talking now she would bite his head off or worse, refuse him sex indefinitely. He swallowed hard and continued walking, leading her into the World Showcase. The pout disappeared off her face immediately as she looked around the lagoon that sat in the middle of the huge circle boasting replicas of buildings from all over the world.

"Wow," she said softly. "I feel like I'm really in Europe."

Derek smiled as he reached out to take her hand. "It's a little cheesy, I know," he said. "But it's fun."

Meredith turned to him with a smile. "Well I like cheesy," she replied. "I'm dating you, aren't I?"

Derek narrowed his eyes. "Mean, Mer," he said. "That was just mean."

She laughed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Come on, lead the way to China," she said.

He rolled his eyes and led them through the world Showcase to China where Emma was waiting outside the restaurant. Dan's eyes lit up when he saw his grandmother and he ran over to her, hugging her tightly around the waist. "Grandma, we saw Crush!" he cried. "And he talked to me!"

Emma smiled widely. "Wow, that's wonderful, Dan," she said. "You mother is inside with everyone else. Derek, why don't you take the kids inside? I was thinking that Meredith and I could have our own private lunch somewhere else. I'd like to spend some time getting to know her."

"I'll just drop the kids off and come with you," Derek replied, turning the walk Dan and Christina into the restaurant.

"You can just stay, dear," Emma replied. "Your sisters don't get to see you nearly enough."

Derek frowned. "But, Mer…" he started, but was interrupted by his mother.

"Derek Michael," his mother said sternly. "Take your niece and nephew inside right now."

Meredith watched in amusement as Derek's eyes widened and he quickly turned to walk into the restaurant, flashing her an apologetic smile over his shoulder. Apparently even at thirty eight Derek could still be bossed around by his mother.

"Now, sweetheart, where would you like to go eat lunch?" Emma asked, turning to Meredith and leading her back to the walkway.

"Oh," Meredith replied. "Um, anything is fine with me really. Except Chinese, which is good because that's where everyone else is. Not that I don't want to eat with everyone else, but you said you wanted to get to know me, which would be hard with everyone else around, especially Derek because he's hovery, but anywhere else is good."

Emma smiled softly at Meredith. "He was right," she said.

"Who?" Meredith asked.

"My son. He said you ramble when you're nervous."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I know, I'm sorry," she replied. "It's a problem. He seems to think it's cute or something."

"He adores you," Emma replied. "Now, I don't know about you, but I think we should go to the café in France and have a chocolate éclair."

"For lunch?" Meredith replied.

Emma laughed as she began leading Meredith to the café. "My son told me a lot about you, Meredith," she said. "According to him, you would have no problem having anything chocolate for lunch."

She was going to kill him. What was he thinking telling his mother about every aspect of her life? He was so dead.

After they had gotten their pastries and sat down at a table outside the café, Emma said, "So Derek tells me that this is your first time here?"

Meredith nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "Growing up…my mom was pretty into her job, and she didn't believe in time off or vacations, so I never really traveled until college, when I went to Europe."

"I'm sure that was wonderful," Emma replied. "Europe is absolutely marvelous. Of course there's far too much of it to see in just one trip."

"Yeah, I'd really like to go back," Meredith replied. "It's hard with our jobs though. But I had to cut my trip short last time because that's when my mom got sick."

Emma tilted her head to the side. "Sick?" she asked.

Meredith nodded, suddenly realizing that Derek hadn't revealed every detail of her life to his mother. Maybe she didn't need to kill him after all.

"Yeah, she has Alzheimer's," she said softly.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear," Emma said. "That must be difficult."

Meredith shrugged. "We were never that close," she said. "She always put her job before me. But Derek, he's been treating her for this program, even though it's not his specialty."

"He's like that," Emma said with a nod. "He'll do anything in his power to help those that he loves."

Meredith nodded, not sure what to say in response, especially since their past was tarnished with so many hurtful memories. Emma sensed her discomfort and said, "He loves you, Meredith. I've never seen him like this, ever. Even when he and Addison were happy…he was never like this."

"I know he loves me," Meredith replied. "It's hard to let him in sometimes. I mean, I'm thirty three years old, and I've never had a real boyfriend. He…he knows how to be in a relationship and I don't. Sometimes I feel like I'm letting him down by taking so much time to adjust."

Emma smiled softly as she leaned forward. "Let me tell you something about Derek," she said. "He would never admit this to anyone, especially you, arrogant as he is. But he didn't have a serious girlfriend until Addison. And he met her his first year in medical school."

Meredith's jaw dropped. "But…he's Derek. He's all dreamy and he rode a bike and he has perfect hair…how did the girls in college not go wild over him?"

"They did," Emma said. "And he dated around occasionally, he wasn't the most innocent boy, especially with Mark around. But he was never incredibly involved in a relationship until Addison, and you know how that turned out."

"Wow," Meredith said, sitting back in her chair. "Wow."

"Derek likes to think that he's perfect," Emma said. "I'm sure you know that. But he's not. He's a human being, and we all make mistakes. Especially men."

Meredith giggled. "I know he's not perfect," she said. "I just…I can't believe that he never had a serious girlfriend before Addison. He seems so good at the relationship thing."

"He and Addison were happy," Emma said. "I don't mean to hurt you, Meredith, but if I know my son he hasn't told you anything about their marriage."

"A little," Meredith replied, wondering if she was betraying Derek by learning all his secrets from his mother. He'd get over it eventually, though, there was no way she was going to tell Emma to stop.

"They were happy," Emma repeated. "And it wasn't either one of their faults that their marriage ended. They just grew apart, into different people who weren't compatible anymore. And Derek found the life he wanted with you."

Meredith blushed slightly. "I always wondered how they were together for so long," she said. "I mean, Addison's really nice and everything, but…she just doesn't seem like she wants the same lifestyle as Derek."

"Derek and Addison were both brought up in that lifestyle," Emma said. "And he just assumed that that was the lifestyle he would have when he was on his own. None of us, not even him, realized how much he didn't fit into that lifestyle. I know he is much happier in Seattle than he ever was in New York."

Meredith recognized the slight regret in Emma's eyes and she said, "He is happy there. I honestly can't image Derek living in a big city life, but that's probably because I fell in love with a completely different Derek. But as happy is he is in Seattle, I know that he misses his family. He talks about you all the time, and even though he complains about his sisters a lot, I know he loves them. I think he misses their teasing."

"We should all make a better effort to get out there," Emma replied. "To be honest I was just hoping that this was just a phase and he would move home, but now I know that his home is Seattle."

"You're welcome anytime," Meredith replied. "I know Derek would love to play tour guide."

"Thank you, Meredith," Emma said. "It means a lot that you're so accepting of me. I know so many women who give their mothers in law a hard time. Even my own daughters complain about their husbands' mothers."

Meredith smiled slightly. "Well, I didn't have the best mother," she replied. "And from what Derek tells me, you're the best."

Emma reached forward to take Meredith's hand. "I want you to know that you're apart of this family now, Meredith," she said. "Derek's told us that he's planning on marrying you, and as far as the Shepherds are concerned that means you're officially a member of the family."

"That's…nice," Meredith replied. "I've never really had a family before."

Before Emma could reply, a familiar voice said, "Ah, there are the two most beautiful women in Disney World."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she felt Derek plant a kiss on the top of her head, then pull up a chair next to hers. "Seriously, Derek, I'm trying to talk to your mom," she said. "Can't you go spend time with your sisters?"

"They're doing the mommy thing right now," Derek said with a shrug. "What are you talking about?"

"I was just about to tell Meredith about your senior prom," Emma replied with a smile.

Derek's eyes widened and he sat up. "No, Mom, don't…"

"What happened at his senior prom?" Meredith asked.

"Derek decided he was going to impress his date by learning to dance," Emma replied. "So he asked me to teach him and we spent weeks learning how to dance. But when they got to the prom, Derek promptly tripped over her dress, fell down in the middle of the dance floor, and broke his ankle."

Meredith burst into a fit of giggles as Derek leaned back in his chair, pouting. "You know, Mom, I am still trying to impress this girl," he said. "The holding on to any embarrassing stories would be excellent until, um…well, forever."

"I for one enjoy the embarrassing stories," Meredith replied, leaning towards Emma. "Do you have any more?"

"Oh, certainly," Emma said with a twinkle in her eyes. "And I'm sure his sisters have some that I don't even know about."

Meredith leaned forwards earnestly, excited to hear as much as she could about Derek's past, finally feeling that she had a real mom, and a real family.


	11. Chapter 11

"Alright, Mom, if you don't mind, I'm going to steal my girlfriend now," Derek said, getting out of his chair and leaning down to press a kiss to Emma's cheek.

Emma smiled softly as she allowed Derek to help her to her feet. "I can take a hint when I hear one," she said as she walked over to give Meredith a hug. "Thank you for talking with me, dear. I'm glad we got at least a few moments alone before my son had to ruin our girl talk."

Meredith hugged Emma back, slightly surprised. "Thanks for telling me all those stories about Derek," she said with a giggle. "And you're definitely going to have to send me that picture from Kathleen's first sleepover."

Derek groaned as he reached for Meredith's hand. "Please don't, Mom," he said. "That's something no one ever needs to see."

"I don't know, Der, I think you'd look cute in pigtails and mascara," Meredith said with a smirk.

Emma laughed as they started to walk back to the entrance of the park where the rest of the family was waiting. "Are we going to see you two for dinner?" she asked.

Derek shrugged and looked down at Meredith. "What do you think, Mer?" he asked. "We could eat just the two of us tonight, if you want."

Meredith bit her lower lip, lost in thought. "Um, that might be nice," she said softly. "Not that I don't want to eat with the rest of the family, I just…we haven't really been alone."

"I think that sounds great," Derek replied, wrapping an arm around her and turning to his mother. "We're going to spend the rest of the day by ourselves," he said. "We'll see you in the morning."

Emma smiled softly. "Enjoy the rest of your day," she said. "I'll see you both in the morning."

"Bye Mom," Derek said as she walked away. When they were left to themselves, Derek turned to Meredith and kissed her deeply. She was surprised at first, but quickly returned the kiss, only breaking away when she realized that they were still in public. "Wow," she breathed. "What was that for?"

Derek smiled down at her as he took her hand, lacing their fingers together. "For being you," he replied. "Mer, you just continue to amaze me. I just…I can't believe how much I'm still learning about you."

Meredith smiled softly. "I know we've still got a long way to go," she said. "Being here with your family…it makes me realize how wonderful it really is to be with people who love you. So…I guess I'm getting over my issues."

Derek smiled widely as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Mer," he whispered.

"I love you too," she replied with a smile.

He pulled away from her and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. "What do you want to do now?" he asked. "We have the rest of the day to ourselves."

Meredith thought for a moment, then said, "You're going to think this is stupid, but do you think we could go on the Aerosmith roller coaster?"

Derek smiled. "Sure," he said as he led her towards the park entrance. "We have to take the monorail to MGM, but that's easy."

Meredith followed him as he led her onto the train that was just about to pull away, thinking about their earlier conversation, as well as the one she'd had with Emma earlier that day. "Der?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Do you think we could go somewhere…adultish for dinner tonight?" she asked.

Derek smiled. "Adultish?" he asked.

"You know what I mean," Meredith replied. "I just…I want to talk about things, important things, and I can't really have you being all distracted by Cinderella walking around."

Derek laughed. "Of course we can," he replied. "We can go wherever you want."

"Good," Meredith said. She rested her head against his shoulder as she looked out the window, watching the Disney property flash by, oddly looking forward to talking to Derek, really talking to him about their life and their future.

XXXXXXXX

"I can't believe you bought that picture," Derek grumbled good naturedly to Meredith as they waited in line for dinner.

"I needed proof that I went on it," Meredith replied. "It's not my fault you were screaming like a little girl when the camera went off."

Derek narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't like you very much right now," he said.

"Aw," Meredith replied, leaning up to kiss him gently. "I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you."

Before Derek could respond, the hostess called their name and escorted them to their table. They had returned to Epcot for dinner, and were eating at the Coral Reef, a seafood restaurant surrounded by aquariums. Meredith had been excited when he'd mentioned it to her, remembering the time she had spent in the Boston Aquarium growing up. Derek had requested a table right next to a tank, and although they had had to wait a little longer, he knew that making Meredith happy was well worth it. They were going to talk, get their future together more solidified, and he wanted her to feel comfortable doing it.

"This is amazing," Meredith breathed as Derek held her chair out for her. She looked to the tank on her right, staring at the brightly colored fish swimming around. "I feel like I'm eating in the ocean."

Derek grinned as he sat down across from her. "I'm glad you like it," he replied. "This is probably one of my favorite restaurants in the world."

Meredith turned to look at him, her eyes shining brightly. "Thank you, Derek," she said softly. "For everything. For bringing me here, for putting up with me…for loving me."

Derek's eyes softened as he reached across the table to take her hand, stroking her skin softly with his thumb. "You don't have to thank me, Mer," he said softly. "I just want to make you happy. So I'm happy that you're happy."

"I um…" Meredith stared. "Can we talk about earlier? There's a lot of stuff I want to say, good things, I promise, but I just need to say them."

"Of course we can," Derek replied. "Why don't we order first, and then we can really talk without getting interrupted."

Meredith nodded in agreement, pulling her hand away from him as she reached for her menu. Her eyes lit up, excited at the prospect of fresh lobster. Growing up in New England it had been a favorite of hers, and Seattle definitely didn't have fresh enough lobster for her liking. She closed her menu and looked at Derek as he looked over the menu. She knew that she was lucky to have him in her life, and she had been thinking about things, things that were scary and amazing at the same time. She couldn't wait to tell him what she had been thinking about all day, she knew it would make him happier than she had ever seen him.

They ordered a few minutes later, and Derek leaned back in his chair, giving Meredith his classic McDreamy look as he waited for her to start their conversation. She swallowed hard, looking into his caring eyes as she tried to figure out what to say first. Finally, she locked eyes with him and said, "Derek, I think...No, actually, I know that you're it for me. As in, I'm never going to be with anyone else, and I'm totally in this. Forever."

Derek leaned forward to take her hand. "I'm in this too," he said. "Forever."

Meredith smiled softly. "Good," she replied. "I know that you've had to be patient with me, and I really appreciate it, Derek. It probably hasn't been easy having a relationship with someone who's dark and twisty like me."

"You're not…" Derek started, but Meredith squeezed his hand, cutting him off.

"I'm ready to get married."

Derek stared at her for a moment, trying to formulate an appropriate response to her blunt confession. After a moment, he blinked quickly then stammered out. "I…uh…Mer… you're incredible," he finally breathed.

"Oh," Meredith let out the breath she'd been holding, somehow expecting him to react differently. "I…thank you."

"I want to marry you," Derek breathed. "And I'm glad to know that you're ready. But I want to do this right. I want to have a ring, I want to be able to put it onto your finger as soon as it happens. I want you to be surprised. So…I'm going to propose. Soon."

Meredith smiled and she leaned across the table to kiss him gently. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too," he murmured against her lips, kissing her once more before settling back down in his seat.

"I've been thinking about this all day," Meredith confessed. "I just…I knew that I was in this, and I knew that one day I was going to marry you, and suddenly…I don't know, I just couldn't remember why I ever wanted to wait."

"I'm glad you told me," Derek replied. "I've been thinking about it too. I wasn't sure how I would ever know when you were ready. But once again, you've completely surprised me." He paused for a moment before he said, "Mer, there's something else you said earlier that made me think. About Seattle, and you having a lot of baggage there. If you want…we can think about moving. After your internship is over, of course, but if you want to take your residency somewhere else, we can go anywhere you want."

Meredith stared at him for a moment before she took a sip of her martini, trying to wrap her head around what Derek had just told her. "Der, you're in line to be Chief at Seattle Grace," she finally said.

"I know," Derek replied. "But to be honest…I don't know if I want that."

"What?" Meredith asked. "That's the entire reason you moved across the country."

"Because I had been hurt, and I had no plans to meet the love of my life," Derek replied. "But I did, and now she means more to me than any job ever could."

"No," Meredith replied. "I…I'm fine in Seattle. I have the house, and we have that beautiful land, and I have friends. I can't let you give that up, Der, not for me."

"Meredith, I wouldn't be giving anything up," Derek said. "I've seen what being Chief has done to Richard, and I don't want that. I don't want you to end up resenting the hours I work, and I want to be present for every single dance recital, soccer game, and school play our kids are in. That won't happen if I'm Chief. So if you want to start a new life somewhere else, I'll go with you. Anywhere, Mer."

Meredith bit her lower lip, and he knew that she was seriously considering his offer. Finally she returned her gaze to him and said, "We don't have to decide now, right? I mean, I have five more months left of internship, and we're not even engaged yet, so we don't have to decide."

"There's no pressure, Mer," Derek replied. "I just…I don't want you to feel like you're stuck in Seattle because of my job. I'd give that up for you in a second."

Meredith smiled softly. "No one's ever done that for me, Derek," she said softly. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you're willing to do this."

Derek squeezed her hand, but before he could say anything, her cell phone went off. She looked down at him and smiled apologetically. "It's Christina," she said. "She probably wants to complain about Izzie and George."

"You can answer it," Derek said with a smile. "I have to make a call anyways."

"Okay," Meredith said with a smile. "I'll be back." She quickly got up and walked away, leaving Derek sitting at their table with a bewildered smile on his face. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and let out a deep breath, unable to believe the conversation he had just had.

He reached for his belt and pulled his cell phone off, dialing a number that he hadn't used in nearly a year, hoping the person on the other end would help him out.

"Mark? It's Derek. Listen, I need a really big favor…"


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks so much for the reviews! It's wonderful to know that people are still reading this. I'm going to try to start updating more frequently, but I can't make any promises as to how much time 3D life will allow for me to do so...**

Meredith woke the next morning to the sound of Derek's phone ringing. "Make it stop," she groaned as she snuggled closer into his chest. They'd been up late the night before, and now all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Go back to sleep," Derek whispered as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll take it on the porch."

Meredith mumbled something unintelligible as she snuggled into her pillow. Derek smiled slightly before he slid the door to the porch open and answered his phone. "Hi, Mark."

"Man you're lucky I owe you," Mark replied by way of greeting. "I just bought a six hundred dollar plane ticket to fly that damn ring out to you."

A smile graced Derek's features as he realized that his plan had worked. As soon as he realized that Meredith was ready to get married, he had automatically wanted to give her the ring he'd bought months before, right after they'd gotten back together. He'd called Mark and asked him to bring it out to him. It felt strange that he wanted to ask Mark, but he knew there wasn't anyone else he could trust with something this bad. He knew there was no way the same thing was going to happen again, and he needed to forgive Mark in order to fully move on with his life.

"I can't believe you hid a two thousand dollar ring in your tackle box," Mark continued. "Seriously, man, someone could have knocked that shit into the water, then what the hell would you have done?"

"Mer never looks inside my tackle box," Derek replied. "It's the only place I could think of that she wouldn't find it."

"Whatever," Mark replied. "I'm waiting to board right now, I should be there in time for dinner tonight."

"Good," Derek breathed. "Mark…Thank you. I know that I haven't particularly been very nice to you since you came out to Seattle, but…when Mer told me she was ready to get married, I knew that it was time to forgive everything that happened with Addison. Plus, I don't want to have to pick one of the brothers in law to be the best man."

Mark felt relief wash over him. He didn't think that his best friend would ever forgive him, and he knew that he had no real reason for him to do so. But it felt wonderful to realize that he was going to get his best friend, as well as his family back. "Thanks, Derek," he finally said with a nod. "Listen, they're boarding right now, so I'll let you know when I check in."

"Okay," Derek replied. "Thanks again, Mark."

He hung up the phone and turned to walk back into the room, smiling at the sight of Meredith snuggled into bed, her naked body half covered by the sheet and her hair spilling over the pillows. He felt his heart swell as he realized that he was going to propose, that they were going to spend forever together. With a smile, he slid into bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. He hadn't even thought to ask any of his sisters about the plan for today, but he would be completely content to hold her all day, just like this.

"Mmmm," she murmured as she snuggled deeply into his arms. "Who was on the phone?"

Derek pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry about it, Mer," he whispered.

"We should get up," she whispered, tightening her hold on him and snuggling closer, making no moves to get up.

"I don't know where the girls are going today," Derek replied. "I'm good here."

Meredith frowned as she lifted herself onto her elbow. "Derek, we're here to see your family," she said. "You haven't seen them in nearly two years. You should be spending time with them."

Before Derek could answer, his cell phone rang and he reached for it, noticing Kathleen's name flashing across the screen. "Morning, Kath," he answered, pulling Meredith back down to his chest and running his fingers through her hair.

"I need to talk to Meredith," was the reply.

Derek frowned. "I had a great night, thanks for asking," he replied. "And you all wonder why I don't call more."

He could practically hear his sister rolling her eyes. "Sorry, Derek, but we have a plan, and I need to tell Meredith about it," she said.

"What kind of plan?" Derek asked.

"Seriously, Derek, can't you just let me talk to her?" Kathleen asked, knowing the answer. Her brother was nothing if not stubborn. "Fine. We're having our Shepherd sisters day today, so we wanted to get her opinion on what we should do."

"Oh," Derek breathed, not having been expecting this. He couldn't believe how quickly his sisters had accepted Meredith into their family, and he knew that this was a huge step. It had taken them two months to include Addison on one of their frequent Shepherd Sister days. He didn't know exactly what happened on these days, he assumed it included a lot of girl talk, but none of them had ever been willing to tell him what occurred when they all got together. Hopefully Meredith would break that pattern and let him know what happened. "She's right here," he said, handing the phone to Meredith. "It's Kathleen," he explained.

She looked at him with confused eyes, but he nodded in encouragement as she lifted the phone to her ear. "Hi Kathleen."

"Hi Meredith," Kathleen said cheerfully. "I wanted to let you know that we decided to have our Shepherd sister day today, and before we decided what we're doing we wanted to get your opinion."

"Shepherd sister day?" Meredith repeated.

"Yeah, we leave the kids with the men and go out by ourselves, you know, have a girls day. Usually we go shopping on Fifth Avenue, but since we're here there are a lot more options. And since this is your first one, we wanted to make sure you got to do what you wanted."

"But…I'm not a Shepherd sister," Meredith replied, wondering why she was questioning Derek's family's acceptance of her.

"You might as well be," Kathleen replied. "My brother's completely head over heels, in case you haven't noticed. And by the way, this isn't an optional thing. We need to get to know you without Derek around. We want details."

Meredith giggled. "Okay," she replied. "Um…I don't really care, it's up to you guys, I'll do whatever."

Kathleen covered the mouthpiece and spoke muffled words to someone in the background before she got back on the line and said, "Alright, we're going to come meet you at your hotel, then go to Downtown Disney for some shopping. This afternoon we can sit by the pool, and tonight we can go out for drinks. How does that sound?"

Meredith couldn't help feeling slightly overwhelmed, but she was looking forward to getting to know Derek's sisters better as well. "That sounds good," she replied. "Um, I guess I'll see you soon."

"We'll be there in an hour and a half," Kathleen replied. "And you can't tell Derek what we're doing. It drives him crazy that he doesn't know what we do on our Shepherd sister days, but it's really nothing that he needs to know. Just a lot of girl talk, away from the husbands and kids."

"Oh," Meredith said. "Okay."

"Thanks Meredith, we'll see you soon."

"Bye, Kathleen," Meredith replied, ending the call and handing the phone back to Derek. "I'm going out with the Shepherd sisters," she informed him with a smile.

"You are a Shepherd sister, Mer," Derek replied softly. "Not officially, but that doesn't matter in this family. You're going to have a fun day."

Meredith smiled as she leaned her head against his chest again. "What are you doing today?" she asked.

Derek shrugged. "The brothers in law and I will take the kids somewhere," he replied. "We like to give the girls a break, plus it gives us a chance to spoil the kids like we can't when the girls are around."

"I think you spoil them enough when they are around," Meredith replied, rolling her eyes. She paused for a minute before she said, "We're going to be gone all day."

"That's generally what happens," Derek replied with a smile. "I was expecting you to stumble in sometime in the middle of the night and have a bit of a hangover."

Meredith smiled slightly. "Is that what happened when Addison went out with your sisters?"

Derek blinked in surprise before he shrugged. "She…she never went out with them very much," he replied. "In the beginning, she did, trying to fit into the family. But then she got involved in the career, and we couldn't make enough time for each other, let alone family days. The only time she went out with them was when we went out to dinner together with the rest of my family."

"Oh," Meredith replied. She hadn't been expecting him to say that. "Well…I want to get to know your sisters, Derek. Christina…she's the closest thing I've ever had to a sister of my own, and I love her. But this feels like a real family, that this is what real sisters do together."

"It is," Derek replied. "And you're going to have fun, I promise."

Meredith sighed as she sat up and got out of bed. "I guess I should get ready," she replied. "Would you care for a shower, Dr. Shepherd?"

Derek smiled as he reached out to press a kiss to her bare shoulder. "A shower would be wonderful, Dr. Grey," he replied, picking her up and carrying her to the bathroom as she giggled. She wrapped her arms around him, savoring the feeling of being close to him. Today was going to be fun, she was excited to get to know Derek's sisters and have them really accept her as apart of the family. By the end of the day, she would be an official Shepherd sister, and she couldn't wait.


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, so this chapter completely and totally kicked my butt. I had no idea how to handle it, so it might seem kind of random, but please let me know what you think :)**

"Meredith!" Kathleen called as she entered the lobby of the Grand Floridian, a smile gracing her features. Meredith smiled as they met in the middle of the room, urprised when Kathleen pulled her into a sisterly embrace. "We're so excited that you could come with us.

"Thanks," Meredith replied as they began to walk into the parking lot. "Where's everyone lse?"

"They're already there," Kathleen replied. "I figured we could get some quality time in so ou wouldn't be completely overwhelmed."

Meredith smiled gratefully as she got into the passenger seat of Kathleen's car. "Thanks" she said. "Your family's great, but to be perfectly honest it's a little intimidating soetimes.

"I know," Kathleen replied. "Derek gave us a big long speech about not putting too much pressure on you before we came out here. He really wanted to bring you, but he knew tha you were nervous."

"I was," Meredith replied. "But…it was important to Derek that I come."

Kathleen smiled softyl at her. "He was right about you," she said. "For the past few months whenever we've talked to him, it was Meredith this and Meredith that. He kept saying how rigt you are for him, and how much happier he is now than he was with Addison."

Meredith only nodded, unsure of how to respond to Kathleen's comment. She was saved, however, when Kathleen pulled into a parking spot and shut off the engine, turning to Meredith with a smile. "Here we go," she said. "Your first annual Shepherd sister day."

Meredith smiled softly as she got out of the car and walked towards the shopping plaza, suddenly terrified of spending an entire day with Derek's sisters when he wasn't around to rescue her.

XXXXXXXX

Derek walked into the café in the lobby of the Grand Floridian, smiling widely as he saw his mom sitting in the corner with two cups of coffee and two cinnamon buns sitting on the table before her.

"Hi, Mom," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek before he sat down opposite her and reached for his coffee. "I'm glad we're getting a chance to talk alone. And thanks for getting the coffee."

Emma smiled and reached out to take a sip of her own coffee. "I'm glad we're able to talk too," she said. "I figured I might as well call you after I heard the girls were kidnapping Meredith for the day. Otherwise I wasn't sure I'd be able to get you alone."

Derek smiled widely. "She's amazing, Mom," he said. "I know you've talked to her a little, but she's just…so amazing."

"I don't doubt that," Emma replied with a warm smile. "It's obvious that she's crazy about you."

"Yeah," Derek said, unable to keep his smile from growing wider. "She's been so amazing." He paused for a moment before he said, "Mom, I'm going to marry her."

Emma blinked in surprise before she asked, "You're engaged. Derek, if you proposed to that girl and didn't tell me…"

"No, Mom," Derek said with a laugh. "I haven't proposed yet. But I'm going to."

"That's wonderful, sweetheart," Emma said. "I'm glad that you're happy. I'm just sorry that I never realized you weren't happy in New York."

"I didn't even know, Mom," Derek assured her. "I thought that was the only lifestyle I was able to have. Fancy dinners and huge mansions in the Hamptons, with expensive cars and everything. But Seattle…It's amazing, Mom. You have to come out and see my land. It's in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods, overlooking the water. I can fish whenever I want, grill out, hike in the woods. And Meredith…she lets me do that stuff. She lets me be me. New York was who I thought I was, but Seattle is who I really am."

Emma smiled. "I'm really happy you have her," she said. "She's wonderful."

Derek nodded. "She really is." He paused for a moment before he said, "Mom, I called Mark yesterday and asked him to bring me Mer's engagement ring."

Emma stared at him for a moment. Mark had been her son, ever since Derek had brought him home from Boy Scout camp begging her to let him stay with them. But then he had betrayed Derek, and Emma had not been quick to welcome him into her family again. Anyone who hurt her son the way Mark had was not going to receive forgiveness from her easily.

"Derek," she said softly. "Are you sure?"

"I know I was stubborn when it came to forgiving him," Derek replied. "But I talked to Mer…and she made me realize how much I miss having Mark around. As much as I love my life in Seattle, I need friends. And as hard as it has been for me to get over what Mark did to me, I can really put it behind me now because I'm with Meredith, and she will never put me in that position."

Emma smiled softly. "I'm proud of you, Derek," she said softly. "And if you're ready to forgive Mark, then I'm sure the rest of the family will be able to also. I'm thrilled that you're ready to take this step with Meredith. She's a wonderful girl."

Derek couldn't help but grin at the mention of his girlfriend. "She really is," he agreed. "She's the most amazing woman ever, Mom. I lied to her, for months, then I left her. I don't deserve her, but she forgave me. She forgave me, and she took me back. God, Mom, I've never felt this way about anyone."

"I've never seen you this way," Emma agreed. "Even with Addison. I know you loved her, Derek, but you were never this giddy when you talked about her."

"She was terrified to come out here," Derek confessed. "And I was a little nervous too. But she's been absolutely incredible."

Emma leaned across the table to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'm happy for you, dear," she said. "Now, I was thinking that we could spend some time just the two of us today, since your sisters are entertaining Meredith and the children are with their fathers. What do you think?"

"That sounds wonderful," Derek replied. "I have to meet Mark tonight, but it will be nice to spend some time just the two of us."

Emma smiled as she studied her son, pleased that he was happier than she had ever seen him. She had always had the inkling that Derek was not as happy as he could have been with Addison, and now that she saw how he was with Meredith, she realized that her son was never the person everyone had thought he was. He was now the man he wanted to be, and she couldn't wait to get to know the new Derek.

XXXXX

"I can't believe how much I bought," Meredith said as she slipped into a towel and piled her hair on top of her head. "I don't think I've ever done that much shopping in my entire life." They were at the spa, preparing to enter the steam room after their facials and massages. Meredith had never had a day quite like this before, but she couldn't deny the fact that she was enjoying the girls' day out.

"It's a good thing you used Der's credit card," Nancy replied with a laugh.

"He's not going to be happy when he sees that bill," Meredith replied.

"Oh, please," Alexis replied, rolling her eyes. "You can do no wrong in his eyes."

Meredith bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to respond to that comment. Before she could respond, Elizabeth giggled and said, "Or else you could just distract him with the lingerie you bought."

"Oh," Meredith said. "Um…that's…we don't usually…I don't actually even know if Derek likes lingerie. I've never really worn it."

Kathleen smiled warmly at Meredith. "Meredith, no offense, but I'm pretty sure I speak for all the sisters when I say that the only topic off limits during girl talk is Derek's sex life."

Meredith smiled slightly. "Sorry," she said. "That makes sense. He's your brother, so you don't want to know about what we do… And I'm just going to shut up now. Steam bath! Um, how do these things work?"

Alexis smiled as they reached the door. "We just sit in the steam room and let it unclog our pores," she replied. "It feels amazing."

"I can't believe you've never been to a spa before," Kathleen said as they settled into their seats. "It's a good thing you have us now, we'll teach you everything about being a Shepherd sister."

Meredith swallowed hard, wondering if it was the steam or the fact that Derek's sisters had already accepted her as a member of the family that suddenly made it hard for her to breathe. She'd told Derek that she was ready to get married, and she was. She loved him, and she had never been more certain of anything in her entire life. But she hadn't really realized that by marrying Derek she would become apart of this amazing but huge family, and she wasn't sure that she was ready for that. She suddenly got to her feet and stumbled out of the room, gasping for breath. The air outside the room was cooler, and she felt the air coming into her lungs a bit easier. She knew exactly what she needed, what always calmed her down when she was upset, and she made her way to the locker where her purse was stashed. She pushed speed dial one and held the phone up to her ear, praying that Derek would answer quickly.

"Hey Mer," his voice came cheerfully over the line of the phone. "I'm surprised the girls allowed you to call me."

"Der," she gasped. "Derek."

"Mer?" he asked, his voice suddenly worried. "Are you okay?" He could hear her gasping for breath in response, and he tried to swallow his panic. He was going to kill his sisters. "Mer, you have to calm down," he said, avoiding his mother's worried gaze. "Just listen to my voice, okay? You're alright. Just take deep breaths and calm down. Deep breaths. That's right. There you go." He felt a little more relaxed as her breaths evened out, but he was still worried about what had caused her panic attack. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Family," Meredith breathed. "When we get married…I'm going to have family."

"Oh," Derek laughed, relieved that was all that was bothering her. "Mer…you're just realizing this now?"

"Yes…well, no, but Kathleen….she said that she was going to have to show me how to be a Shepherd sister, which is completely and totally ridiculous. I mean, who needs to be taught how to be apart of a family? I just…I love you, Derek, I really do. And I feel like I'm ready to be a wife. Maybe not. But I can try. I want to try. But I don't have a clue how to be a sister. Derek, I don't know if I can do this."

"Mer," Derek said softly. "I hate to interrupt your rambling, adorable as it is, but I think you should know that you do know how to be a sister."

"What?" Meredith breathed. "Derek…"

"You've been wonderful with them all week," Derek assured her. "And I'm sure that you've held yourself together wonderfully today. So don't worry about knowing how to be a sister, because you've been amazing. No one has ever fit in with my sisters as quickly and easily as you have."

"No one?" she said softly. "Even…Addison? Because when Nancy was in Seattle, they seemed pretty close."

"Mer, I promise that I will tell you anything about my relationship with Addison that you want to know," Derek replied. "But I'd rather do it in person when we're alone, because I'm assuming that my sisters are all behind you listening to your end of the conversation."

Meredith looked over her shoulder in time to see Alexis disappear behind a row of lockers and giggled into the phone. "You're right," she said. "They're totally listening."

Derek's warm laughter carried over the line, but before she could hear his response, the phone was taken from her hands and she was held back by two sets of surprisingly strong hands. "Hey!" she cried as Elizabeth walked away with the phone to her ear, struggling against Nancy and Kathleen's grip. "I wasn't done!"

"Sorry Meredith," Alexis said. "Girl's day out rule. No talking to boys. Especially because if you had stayed on the phone with Derek much longer he would have found out where we are and completely ruined the whole sister thing."

Meredith sighed. "Oh," she said. "Okay." She moved to her locker and started getting dressed before she asked, "What's after this?"

The three sisters present exchanged a look for a moment before Nancy said, "Definitely dinner, and then if you're up for it…drinks and dancing."

"Dancing?" Meredith repeated, scrunching up her nose. "There's dancing in Disney?"

"Of course," Alexis replied. "Pleasure Island. It's only open at night, and kids aren't allowed there."

"Oh," Meredith replied. "That sounds…I mean, I know how to that kind of thing."

Kathleen laughed. "From what I hear you can out drink our brother any day," she said.

Meredith smiled slightly. "I guess," she said softly. "Not that I have issues or anything. I just…okay, did Derek make me sound like an alcoholic? Cause I'm not. I'm a doctor, and when we first met I did have issues, and then there was the whole secret wife thing that he never told me about, so alcohol helped with that, but now…"

"Hey, we didn't say that," Alexis replied. "It's not very often we get to go out like this, with kids and everything. We're just excited to have someone new to come with us."

Before Meredith could respond, Elizabeth walked back over to them and tossed Meredith her phone. "Our brother is pathetic," she announced.

Meredith giggled slightly. "What did he say?" she asked.

"Well, I got a good long lecture about how he was in the middle of talking to you and now his day was ruined because he didn't get to say good bye properly," Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "And then he went on another rant when I told him that we aren't returning you until late. Then I threatened to hang up on him and he hold me to tell you that he loves you and he misses you."

"Oh," Meredith tried to hide her blush by ducking her head. He never said things like that, and she had never expected him to admit it to one of his sisters. Apparently Disney World had made him corny. But she didn't care, because maybe she had become a little corny as well, as she felt her body flush as she repeated Derek's message in her head.

"Meredith?" Kathleen's voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up expectantly. "We thought we'd have ice cream for dinner. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Meredith replied. "Derek needs to listen to you more."

"The health food freak?" Elizabeth replied. "Derek barely even eats ice cream for desert."

"And only coffee," Meredith replied. "This ice cream for dinner thing? This is why I'm pretty sure we're going to get along great."

Alexis smiled as she linked her arm through Meredith's as they walked out of the locker room. "Yes, and with how whipped that man is, think of the things we could get him to do with you on our side," she said, causing all five of them to laugh.

XXXXXXX

"Dude, you are so lucky I owed you," Mark announced as soon as he reached Derek at the baggage claim. "I just spent seven hundred dollars to fly thousands of miles with a bunch of screaming kids surrounding me just so you could have this damn ring to give to Grey."

Derek smiled finally realizing that they were getting past their argument and becoming the friends they were before Seattle. "I appreciate it, Mark," he said. "And by the way, we're still not even. The way I see it, whenever I need you to do something for me I can just throw that in your face."

Mark frowned. "You wouldn't," he said.

"You slept with my wife," Derek shot back.

Mark ran a hand over his face. "I thought we were forgetting about that," he replied.

Derek saw the pain in Mark's eyes and remembered Meredith's words to him a couple nights before.

"_I think he was in love with her."_

With a sigh, he reached out to clap Mark on the shoulder. "We can forget about it," he said. "I know history won't ever repeat itself."

"Yeah, I sure as hell know what would happen if I ever even thought about it," Mark replied, shaking his head as they walked out of the airport. "I never knew you could throw a punch like that, Shep. I'm just sorry I had to be on the receiving end."

Derek winced as he opened the trunk and allowed Mark to lift his bags into the open space. "I can't say I'm sorry about that," he replied. "Hitting on Mer…not okay in any way shape or form."

"Where is Grey, anyways?" Mark asked as he settled into the passenger seat. "I'm surprised you even let her out of your sight."

"She's with the girls," Derek replied. "Kathleen called this morning and dragged her away, and I haven't seen her since."

"Oh, man," Mark said. "She's probably learning things about you even you don't know."

"Probably," Derek replied with a laugh. "She doesn't know you're coming. I'm still trying to figure that out without telling her why I called you here."

"You still haven't figured out how you're going to do it?" Mark asked.

Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "No," he replied. "It was easy enough the first time. Addison made it clear exactly what she wanted. But Mer…I want it to be perfect for her. And I'm not entirely sure what that is."

Mark nodded. "You'll figure it out," he replied confidently. "And please tell me you're not planning on sitting around in your hotel room and moping all night while Grey's out with the girls."

"Of course not," Derek lied. "I just…I didn't know what you wanted to do."

"Well, I need to get checked in," Mark replied. "And you know what I'm thinking?"

"What?" Derek asked, not sure if he wanted to know.

"Pleasure Island," Mark replied with a smile. "All those college girls here over winter break…come on, what do you say?"

"I'm not going to go hit on girls," Derek replied. "I have Mer."

"You don't need to hit on girls," Mark replied, rolling his eyes. "Just watch me do it. Maybe you could learn a thing or two."

"Hey," Derek frowned. "I picked Mer up in a bar. That worked pretty well."

"Come on, Shep," Mark groaned. "Just a drink. Then you can go back to sitting around the hotel and waiting for Grey if that's really what you want to do."

"Fine," Derek replied as he pulled up to the hotel. "One drink."

XXXXX

"This place is crazy," Meredith giggled as she slid into the booth in the corner of the club that Alexis, Kathleen, and Nancy had claimed while she and Elizabeth had gotten another round of drinks. "I can't believe we're still in Disney World."

"Believe it," Kathleen replied as she lifted her glass. "Here's to the newest Shepherd sister."

Meredith blushed slightly as the rest of the girls raised their glasses and took a sip. "Okay, so who wants to dance?" Alexis asked as they finished their drinks.

"I need another shot before I get out there," Meredith replied. "Go ahead, I'll meet you out there."

She walked up to the bar and tapped her foot impatiently as she tried to get the bartender's attention. Before she could get her shot, however, she froze as she heard a very familiar voice say, "So is this a good place to hang out?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone, sorry about the delay. I was out of the country for the past month with no internet access. I hope you enjoy the update!**

"So is this a good place to hang out?"

Meredith froze, recognizing the voice of the cocky, arrogant man she loved so much. She turned around slowly to see Derek sitting at the bar stool to her right, tilting his head to the side and giving her the patented McDreamy look. She stared at him for a moment before she reached out and smacked him on the shoulder.

"Ow!" he cried, not having expected her assault. "What was that for?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Meredith asked. "I go out with your sisters and you think that means you can go to clubs and hit on girls? Seriously, Derek? Sisters, I'm out with your sisters, and you go hit on girls?"

"I'm not here to hit on girls," Derek insisted. "I'm here with Mark. Who's hitting on girls."

"Mark," Meredith repeated. "You're here with Mark Sloan? The man you swore out of your life forever?"

"I missed him," Derek said with a shrug. "It's weird being with my family like this without him."

Meredith blinked at him for another moment before she began punching his shoulder. "Seriously?" she cried. "You must think I'm some kind of idiot."

"Holy shit, Shep, you've got yourself one aggressive chick there," Mark boomed, coming up behind Derek and flashing Meredith a smile. "No wonder Grey's roommates complain when the two of you do the horizontal tango."

"Mark," Meredith said, dropping her hands to her side in shock. "You really are here/"

Derek took advantage of Meredith's sock to pull her close, letting her stand between his legs. "I think you owe me an apology," he said with a smirk. "You can start tonight."

Meredith blushed furiously as she leaned into Derek, running her hands through his hair. "I think I'm a little drunk," she announced instead of an apology.

"No shit," Mark said with a laugh, his eyes suddenly settling on a brunette at the end of the bar. "See you guys later," he said as he moved to stand beside the girl. Meredith turned back to Derek and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet and onto the dance floor. "Come dance!" she yelled above the music.

"I don't dance!" Derek yelled back, his hands going to his hips on instinct.

"Come on," Meredith pouted, wrapping her arms around his neck and grinding her hips against his to the beat of the music. Derek couldn't help but move with her, unable to resist her when she moved against him like that. Just when he started thinking that the dancing wasn't as bad as he had anticipated, his sisters showed up, completely surrounding him as he pulled Meredith closer. As he looked at his sisters, he could tell they were all just as drunk as Meredith, if not more so. He swallowed hard, knowing that he was in trouble. There was nothing worse than an angry Shepherd woman; five of them was completely unimaginable.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked. "You can't even keep your hands off of her for a day!"

"It was Mark's idea," Derek replied quickly. Blaming the long lost brother was his best chance of getting himself out of trouble. "Ouch!" he cried as he felt Kathleen's hand connect sharply with the back of his head. "What's with the abuse?"

"Mark's not here," Kathleen snapped before stumbling slightly. "I think I'm drunk, Der Bear."

"Mark is here," Meredith defended. "I saw him myself!"

Derek didn't miss the way Alexis's eyes lit up at the mention of Mark's name. She'd always had a special bond with Mark, and she'd been especially devastated when Derek had banished him from the family. "Mark's here?" she repeated.

"Damn right I'm here," Mark boomed, coming up behind Alexis and pulling her in close. "Did you miss me?"

Alexis threw herself at him, holding him tightly. "I did miss you!" she cried.

Derek watched the scene through angry eyes, not sure he liked the way his sister was looking at Mark. He knew he didn't have to worry about losing Meredith to Mark, but he hadn't even thought that any of his married sisters would be a problem. He opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately accosted by Meredith's mouth on his, her body leaning on his and her tongue shoving its way into his mouth. He was momentarily distracted by the cries of disgust from his sisters, but then Meredith brushed a hand over his quickly developing erection, and all was lost. He pulled back after a moment and looked down at Meredith, a surge of desire running through his body. She was panting slightly, and a fine sheet of sweat covered her body. Her eyes were the deep green they always turned during sex, and it was all he could do not to take her right there on the dance floor.

"Let's go," Derek whispered in her ear, holding her close by the lower back and rubbing his erection against her hips. If it was possible, Meredith's eyes darkened even more, and she grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the door as he shouted a goodbye to his sisters and Mark over his shoulder.

As Derek unlocked the car, Meredith wrapped her arms around him and pressed him against the passenger door. "I want you," she whispered huskily in his ear as she nibbled at his neck and reached for his belt buckle.

Derek moaned as he felt Meredith's fingers brush against him but he knew this could be a disaster. "Mer," he mumbled. "We can't do this here."

Meredith frowned as she pulled back. "Why not?" she asked. "I'm drunk. And I want sex. With you."

Derek laughed as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and turned to open the door for her. "I want you too," he assured her. "But we're in a parking lot. And we don't have the best track record when it comes to sex in cars."

Meredith turned to face him as he started the car. "I love you Der," she slurred slightly. "I really really love you."

Derek smiled softly. "I really really love you too, Mer," he said, squeezing her hand softly.

"Then let's have sex," Meredith replied, reaching his hand over to rub is thigh, slowly inching upwards.

Derek winced, trying to concentrate on the road rather than how close Meredith's hand was to his throbbing erection. "God, Mer," he said. "You have no idea what you do to me."

Meredith giggled as she brushed her hand oh so softly over her erection. "I think I do," she replied. "How much longer to the hotel?"

Derek swallowed hard. "As soon as humanly possible," he replied. "Ten minutes, tops."

"I can't wait that long, she replied, bringing her hand between her legs. "God, Der, I'm so wet for you. I'm wet and ready, and I can't wait."

Derek's eyes flickered toward her as she dipped her fingers inside herself, leaning her head back against the seat and panting slightly. He turned back to the road and tried to go through the procedure of a cerebral cordotomy to distract himself from his girlfriend's distracting moans as she made herself come.

"Thank God," he muttered under his breath as he finally pulled up to the hotel's valet parking and jumped out of the car. He dragged Meredith to the grand staircase, not bothering to wait for an elevator for their second floor room.

As soon as the door to their room slammed closed behind them, Meredith threw herself at Derek, pushing him into the bedroom and onto the bed, straddling his hips and reaching down to undo his belt. "You're so hot, Der," she said. "I need to feel you.. I need you inside me."

Derek flashed her a dirty grin as he flipped her onto her back, pressing her into the mattress. "As you wish," he said, before pressing kisses to her neck and chest, preparing to show her just how much she meant to him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Derek woke the next morning to the feeling of Meredith shifting closer to him and the sound of knocking on the door. "Ugh," she groaned. "Make them go away."

Derek pressed a kiss to her forehead before glancing at the clock. It was eight o' clock, and they'd only gone to sleep three hours earlier, having spent the majority of the night making love. "Go back to sleep," he whispered. "I'll call Mom and get you some Tylonel."

"Love you," Meredith mumbled, snuggling close to his pillow as he slid out of bed.

"Love you too," Derek said to an already sleeping Meredith before slipping into a robe and walking into the living room to answer the door.

"Man, Shep," Mark said as soon as Derek opened the door. "I didn't know you had it in you to make a girl scream like that. It sounded like Grey was enjoying herself."

Derek narrowed his eyes. "What, were you spying on us?" he asked. "I don't think I like the sound of that.

"Relax," Mark replied, shoving past Derek to spread out on the couch. "By some weird coincidence, they put me in the room next to you. I never thought I'd say this, but you're going to have to tell me what you do to get her to scream your name like that."

Derek smirked as he pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and grabbed a bottle of Tylenol for Meredith. "I guess I'm just better at sex than you are," he said. He grabbed his phone off the counter and tossed it to Mark before moving towards the bedroom. "Call Mom and tell her we'll be late for breakfast. Mer needs more sleep."

Mark pressed some buttons on the phone and muttered something about being whipped as Derek moved back to the bedroom.

"Mer," he whispered gently, rubbing her back as he sat down next to her on the bed. "I have some Tylenol for your head."

"Ugh," Meredith replied, rolling over to look up at him. "How about some morphine?"

Derek laughed as he leaned forward to kiss her gently. "As much as I loved Morphine Meredith," he said. "I think it's frowned upon to walk around Disney World high on morphine."

"Fine," Meredith sighed, reaching for the medicine. "Give me another hour to sleep, and then we can go."

Derek smiled softly. "Sleep as long as you want," he said. "Mark's here, I think I'll go to breakfast with him and the rest of the family, and then I'll come get you."

"Okay," Meredith mumbled from under her pillow. "Love you."

Derek chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss to her blanket covered head. "Love you too, Mer. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Meredith mumbled something unintelligible, and Derek smiled down at her for a moment before he walked into the bathroom for a quick shower. As he stood under the warm spray and allowed himself to drift away in his thoughts, he wondered how in the world he was supposed to propose to Meredith. He had a ring, he'd bought it as soon as they'd gotten back together, sure that one day he was going to marry her. And she'd told him that he was ready to get married, so he knew she would say yes. But he needed this to be special, he needed it to be perfect. He knew in Disney World there were all kinds of ways to have a cheesy romantic proposal that most girls probably dream about, complete with Prince Charmings and horsedrawn carriages and crowds of people watching them. But that wasn't them, and if he proposed in front of all of Disney World, he knew there was a large possibility that Meredith would kill him with her bare hands. He needed to think of a way to make it completely perfect for her, and he needed to do it soon, because in three days they would return to Seattle, and everything would not be as perfect as it was right now.

With a sigh, Derek ran one last handful of gel through his hair and walked back into the living room where Mark was watching the highlights of the Yankees game the night before on TV. "About time, Shep," he said as he turned off the TV and stood, following Derek to the door.

"Sorry," Derek replied half heartedly. "Where's everyone having breakfast?"

"Mom said they went their separate ways," Mark replied. "Some of the girls wanted to come back for the Mary Poppins breakfast, so she's there with Kath and Brian if you want to stay here."

"Sounds good," Derek said with a nod as they made their way down the stairs and into the dining room. He immediately spotted his mother and brother in law trying to control six of his nieces while his sister sat at the end of the table, her head in her hands. He smirked as he approached the table and dropped himself down next to her. "Long night, sis?" he asked.

Kathleen's head snapped up and she glared at him with an evil eye. "Don't mock me, Derek," she snapped. "I haven't drank like that in years. Let me tell you, that girlfriend of yours could probably out drink Mark if she wanted to."

Derek narrowed his eyes, but before he could respond, he saw his mother stand and walk towards Mark, tears gathering in her eyes. "Mark," she said softly as she enveloped him in her arms. "I'm so glad to see you."

Mark breathed in deeply as he tightened his arms around the woman who had raised him as one of her own. "You too, Mom," he whispered. "God, I missed you."

Emma held onto him tightly before she pulled back and looked him over. "You look wonderful," she said softly. "I'm so glad that Derek called you out here."

"Me too," Mark replied. "And…I'm sorry. About Addison, about letting everyone down…about everything."

Emma squeezed his hand tightly. "If Derek can forgive you, then I can forgive you," she replied. "I'm just so happy to have both of my sons back."

"Well, from the looks of it, you're going to be getting another daughter too," Mark said with a smirk as he sat down next to Derek, reaching out to grab Alyse and pull her into his lap, tickling her gently.

"What?" Kathleen asked, her bloodshot eyes suddenly brightening. "You proposed to Mer?"

"Not yet," Derek replied quickly. "And no one is supposed to know. You can't tell any of the sisters. Or brothers in law," he added, shooting Brian a glance.

"Hey, don't look at me," Brian said defensively. "I'm not a gossip like Kelly Ripa over here."

Kathleen narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't make references to celebrities," she said to her husband. "You don't know what you're talking about." She turned back to Derek and asked, "Do you have a ring?"

"Yes, I have a ring," Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's perfect, and Mer will absolutely love it, if I can figure out a way to give it to her."

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Der bear, we're in Disney World," she replied. "There are millions of ways to do it here. Like during the princess show, you could come out at the end and propose to her in front of the whole audience."

Mark snorted and Derek stared at her. "Mer would kill me," he replied. "She hates being the center of attention."

Emma smiled slightly. "Well, it certainly will be an interesting wedding, with a bride who doesn't want to be the center of attention," she said.

"Okay, I've got it," Kathleen said. "We're going to MGM today, right? So you take her on Tower of Terror, and right before it drops, you slip the ring on her finger and ask her."

"Right, and as soon as the ride goes down before I think it will, Mer's two thousand dollar engagement ring is thrown out the window."

Kathleen frowned, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms over her chest. "Fine, if you don't want my help I won't give it," she said.

Brian rolled his eyes at his wife. "Listen, Shep," he said. "All you've got to do is take her out to a nice dinner, like that fancy restaurant here, the one where you have to wear a jacket and she has to be all dolled up in a dress or whatever. You tell the waiters what you want to do beforehand, have them make her favorite dessert especially for her, and ask them to bake the ring inside. Then as she's eating, she'll find it and you can ask."

Derek thought for a moment. "That might work," he said with a nod. "Maybe I should see about getting reservations."

"Yeah, except the way Grey eats, she'd probably swallow the ring whole and not even know it," Mark said with a laugh.

"I'm not sure it's the best idea, dear," Emma said gently. "What if someone else gets Meredith's plate by accident?"

"Well, it's better than anything else that I've been able to come up with," Derek said with a sigh.

"Wait," Kathleen replied, sitting up with a slow grin spreading across her features. "We were planning on going to the Fantasmic show tonight, right?"

"Kath, I'm not proposing at the end of the princess show, I'm not proposing on a float at the end of the Fantasmic water parade, and before you even mention it, I do not want the finale of the fireworks show to be lit up with 'Marry me Meredith," Derek said with a groan.

"Would you just listen to me?" Kathleen asked, rolling her eyes. "That shows all about happily ever after and following your dreams. So during the finale, you should just turn to her in your seat, and tell her how much you want to spend forever with her and everything and then ask. It's romantic, with the fairy tales and the fireworks and everything, but you don't have to do it with the entire audience watching."

Derek stared at her for a moment, considering the idea. "I like it," he said finally. "That's it. That's perfect. Mer's going to love that, thanks Kath."

"Mer's going to love what?" a familiar voice asked from behind him.

"Mer!" Derek jumped out of his chair and let her sit down, his hand brushing her back gently. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I was," Meredith replied, a blush creeping over her features. "You've ruined me, Derek Shepherd."

"What?" Derek asked. "I wasn't even there, how could I keep you awake?"

"Exactly, you weren't there," Meredith replied. "You've ruined me because I can't sleep without you anymore."

"Oh," Derek said softly. "Well, I'm sorry. But at least you're out of bed, and we can spend a full day in MGM."

Meredith nodded. "The Tower of Terror looked pretty fun," she replied as she reached for some of Derek's pineapple. "And I'm sure Alyse wants to go see the Little Mermaid show, don't you?"

She continued to ramble about what she wanted to see in Disney World, but all Derek could think about was the proposal. Tonight. He was proposing to Meredith Grey tonight, and in about twelve hours his life would never be the same. After tonight, he would officially be spending forever with Meredith, and as much as that thought excited him, he couldn't help being terrified that something would go terribly wrong with his plan.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you so much for the reviews! It definitely makes me feel wonderful that people are still reading this after I've dragged it out for so long. You're all awesome!**

Derek was acting weird. To be fair, Derek was always a little weird, but today he was acting weird even for him. Meredith knew that he was thinking about something, that something was distracting him, but she hadn't had a chance to ask him. To anyone else, he probably seemed perfectly fine; he'd joked with the brothers in law in the line for the Rock N Roller Coaster, he'd squeezed her hand tightly when they'd dropped from Tower of Terror, and he'd laughed as the kids giggled through the entire movie ride. To anyone else, Derek would have seen perfectly fine, but she knew. She was the dark and twisty one, and she knew that he was distracted about something. She just didn't know what, and she needed to figure it out. They were halfway through dinner at the 50's style diner, and they were sitting side by side in a booth in the corner, but Derek wasn't talking. He wasn't talking to her, and the last time she could remember him not talking to her was when he'd found out she was seeing Finn, which wasn't a memory she wanted to hold onto. She just had to figure this out.

"What's bothering you?" she asked gently, trying to draw him out of her thoughts.

"Hmmm?" Derek asked distractedly, turning to look at her.

"I know something's bothering you," Meredith replied. "You're…you're not talking and you're thinking a lot, and I just…I know something's wrong, and I just want to know, because maybe I could help."

"Mer," Derek said softly. "It's…it's nothing that you have to worry about."

Meredith frowned. "Derek, if something's bothering you, you can tell me," she said. "I'm your girlfriend, and…well, I thought girlfriends were supposed to help. When their boyfriends are thinking or whatever."

"I know," Derek replied, reaching for her hand. "I just…Mer, I can't talk to you about this. I love you and I trust you, I really do, but this…this is something that I have to do by myself."

"Oh," Meredith said, nodding as she pulled her hand away. "Okay." She was silent for a moment before she asked, "What time are we meeting everyone for the Fantastic show thingy?"

"An hour," Derek replied with a sigh. "Mer…please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad," she replied. "Oh, look, here's our food. Food's good, so we can eat it and then go meet your family and we don't have to talk because obviously you don't want to, so we can just eat and go watch the show thing."

Derek sighed as the waiter placed their food in front of them. "Meredith, please, just trust me on this," he begged quietly. "I just…please, I need...I need to know that you love me."

"I do love you," Meredith said softly. "But I guess I don't really understand what being in a relationship meant because I thought it was about communication. Obviously I was wrong."

Derek sighed and ran a hand over his face and pushed his plate away from him. There was no way he could eat right now. He was about to propose to Meredith, and now she was mad at him. She thought he was avoiding, when all he wanted to do was propose to her and make her his forever. But now he wasn't sure that he could do it, because Meredith was mad at him and he didn't want to ask her for forever when she was mad at him.

"Derek! Meredith!" He was pulled from his thoughts when a voice cut across the diner. His head snapped up to see Alexis walking across the room, a grin on her face. She slid into the booth across from them and reached for Derek's salad. "Mom said you were eating here, so I thought I'd leave the kids with her and come join you. I haven't seen enough of you this week, Der bear."

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," Meredith mumbled, sliding out of the booth and walking towards the back of the restaurant. Alexis frowned as she watched Meredith walk away and then turned to her brother.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked.

"I'm going to propose," Derek replied, burying his face in his hands.

"Okay," Alexis replied, confused. "And that's a bad thing?"

"It is when she knows that there's something on my mind and I told her I can't talk to her about it."

"Oh," Alexis replied. "Well, when are you going to propose?"

"Tonight. At the show."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Alexis replied. "I'll take her shopping and she can get into a better mood, and then I'll bring her to the show with me and then you can propose."

Derek sighed and leaned back into his seat. "Why the hell can't I do this right, Alexis?" he murmured. "I…I couldn't even think of a way to propose. Kath had to help me. I just…I just want to marry her, but now she's mad at me and I can't propose when she's mad at me."

"Derek, relax," Alexis said, waving a hand in dismissal. "It's not like she's going to say no."

"You don't know that."

"Oh really?" Alexis asked with raised eyebrows. "Why did you call Mark to bring you the engagement ring?"

"Because Mer told me she's ready to get married," Derek replied automatically, then frowned. "Wait, he told you about that?"

Alexis shrugged. "We took the girls to the Beauty and the Beast show," she replied. "We…talked. I'm glad you forgave him, Der."

Derek opened his mouth to remind his sister that she was married, but closed it when he spotted Meredith walking towards them. She collapsed down next to him and he reached over to squeeze her hand. "You okay, Mer?" he whispered.

"Fine," Meredith replied. "Can we leave now?"

"Mer, what do you say we ditch my moody brother here and get some more shopping in before the show?" Alexis answered for Derek, shooting him a look telling him to be quiet.

"Oh," Meredith said. "Um, sure. That sounds good." She hated shopping, but at that moment shopping sounded better than sitting next to Derek as he brooded in his head. She started to stand with Alexis, but Derek kept his grip on her and refused to let her stand.

"I love you Mer," he whispered. "So much."

As scared as Meredith was about whatever Derek was hiding from her, she couldn't deny him the knowledge that she loved him. "Me too," she whispered before untangling her hand from his and following Alexis out of the restaurant. As soon as they were gone, Derek sighed deeply and reached into his pocket, pulling out the jewelry box and opening it. The simple diamond shone brightly in the light of the restaurant, and Derek couldn't help but imagine how it would look on Meredith's long ring finger. With all his might, he hoped that within the next two hours he would find out.

XXXXXXXX

Alexis and Meredith were among the first people to enter the show arena, but Derek was easy to spot, leaning against the back of the bleachers, staring up at the sky. Alexis noticed him first, and nudged Meredith in his direction. "Just talk to him, Mer," she urged.

Meredith took a deep breath and walked over to Derek, leaning against the bleachers beside him. Wordlessly, he turned to look at her for a moment before he returned his gaze to the sky. Meredith knew that she had to stop being stubborn and just tell him she was sorry, and she reached for his hand, lacing her fingers through his. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she felt Derek squeeze her hand, knowing that whatever had been bothering him wasn't anything bad about her.

"I'm sorry," she let out in one breath. "I don't know what's bothering you, but I'm sorry for pushing it and getting upset with you. I just…it scared me. Because you've left me before, and I was afraid that you'd changed your mind and were trying to figure out how to end things with me. And that scared me, Derek, because I love you, and if you leave me now…well, you've ruined me. Because I don't think I'd ever be the same. So I'm sorry I got mad at you, but I was just scared. I want you to talk to me, Derek, but if you really don't want to…it's okay. I get it."

"Oh, Mer," Derek whispered, turning to her and brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "God, I love you so much. And you need to know that there is no way that I will ever end this. Never. You're stuck with me forever."

"Forever?" Meredith whispered, leaning her forehead against his.

"Forever," Derek replied, taking a deep breath. "Mer, what I was thinking about…"

"You don't have to tell me," Meredith replied. "I trust you."

"I need to tell you," Derek replied softly. "I was thinking about doing this." He reached his shaking hands into his pocket and pulled out the ring box, opening it to reveal the diamond ring. "Meredith, will you marry me?"

Meredith stared at him for a moment, her eyes darting between his face and the ring, trying to comprehend what he was doing. "Marry you," she breathed. "You're proposing. And…yes. Yes, of course."

"Yes?" Derek repeated a smile spreading across his face. "You'll marry me."

Meredith giggled as she took his face in her hands. "Of course I will," she whispered. "I love you, Derek."

"I love you too," Derek whispered back, kissing her gently. "So much."

Meredith smiled as she pulled back slightly. "So are you going to put that ring on my finger or do I have to do it myself?" she asked.

Derek grinned as he pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto her left ring finger. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's perfect," Meredith replied, holding her hand out in front of her. "Derek, it's beautiful."

"Good," Derek replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "We're engaged," he whispered before pressing his lips to hers in a passionate, fiery kiss. Meredith wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, her body trembling slightly against his as she thought about what had just happened. She was engaged. She was going to marry Derek Shepherd.

After a long moment, Derek pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, catching his breath. They stared at each other for a moment before they heard a familiar voice say, "Alright, Shep, this is a public place."

They both turned to see the entire Shepherd family staring at them with huge smiles on their faces. Emma was the first to approach the newly engaged couple, holding her arms out wide. "Congratulations," she exclaimed, stepping past Derek to wrap Meredith in a motherly hug. "Welcome to the family, dear. I can't imagine anyone better for my son."

Meredith was surprised at first, but then she leaned into Emma's embrace, hugging her back tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "I um…I'm glad that you're going to be my mother in law or whatever."

Emma pulled back to smile at Meredith. "You're an incredible woman, Meredith," she said. "I'm so looking forward to getting to know you better. Of course, you're going to have to make sure to keep Derek in line for me."

"Don't worry, Mom, she's already got that under control," Derek laughed, pulling out of Kathleen's hug to wrap his arms around his mother. "She won't let me get away with anything."

"Congratulations, dear," Emma whispered to her son. "I'm so glad that you've finally found the girl for you."

"Me too," Derek whispered, squeezing his eyes closed tightly. It meant the world to him that his mother had accepted Meredith as her daughter, and he knew that the rest of his family did as well. He was so grateful that Meredith was accepted by his family because it made it that much easier for her to say yes to his proposal.

"Uncle Derek?" Andrew asked from his place in Alexis's arms. "You're getting married?"

Derek smiled as he reached for his nephew. "I sure am," he replied. "To Meredith."

Andrew's eyes lit up as he reached for Meredith. "Aunt Meredith!" he cried as she took him from Derek's arms.

"Hi Andrew," she said softly. "Are you excited for the show?"

"Yeah!" Andrew cried. "Kevin says there's lots of fireworks and fights and floats!"

"Wow!" Meredith exclaimed, her eyes going wide. "Why don't you go see if Kevin wants to save a seat for you next to him?"

"Okay!" Andrew exclaimed, jumping from Meredith's arms to run for his cousin. Meredith immediately walked back to Derek's side, as if by magnetic force. She linked her hand through his, and he smiled at the unfamiliar feeling of the silver cutting into his skin.

"I was going to propose at the end of the show," he whispered in her ear. "But if you want to celebrate…"

Meredith pulled away with wide eyes. "Oh, Derek, I ruined it," she said. "You probably has some big proposal planned and I ruined it. I'm sorry."

"Mer," Derek said softly, taking her face in his hands. "That proposal…I know it was less than perfect, but…it was perfect. For us, it was perfect."

Meredith smiled slightly. "You're right," she replied. "I just feel bad for ruining whatever you had planned."

"Don't be sorry," Derek replied. "But if you really want to make it up to me, we can leave right now and have engagement sex."

"Mmmm…" Meredith smiled against his lips. "I like the sound of that, Dr. Shepherd."

"I'm glad you agree, future Dr. Shepherd," Derek smiled, tugging on her hand. He turned to Mark, who was the last of the family members to enter the seating area. "We're going to skip the show," he said. "We'll see you guys tomorrow at some point."

Mark smiled as he clapped Derek on the back. "Go have some hot sex, Shep," he said. "And um…congratulations."

"Thanks," Derek replied. "I...thank you for bringing the ring out and everything. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you."

Mark nodded. "No problem, man," he said. "Congratulations, Grey."

"Thanks Mark," Meredith said, leaning her head against Derek's shoulder.

"Let's go, Mer," Derek said softly, tugging on her hand to lead her to the entrance. They pushed their way through the crowd and made their way to the parking lot. When they were on the road, Meredith reached her left hand out in front of her and grinned as she examined her ring. The silver band gave way to a solitaire princess cut diamond. It wasn't too big, but it was the perfect ring for a surgeon, since she would have to take it off frequently. It fit her perfectly, and she wondered if that was coincidence or if Derek really had her body memorized well enough to know her ring size.

"This ring is perfect," she said with a sigh. She turned to look at him and asked, "When did you buy it?"

"The day after I got back from camping," Derek replied.

"Really?" Meredith asked. "Even with the no sex and taking it slow thing?"

Derek laughed as he reached out to take her hand and press a kiss to her ring finger. "Even with the no sex," he replied. "As glad as I am that that phase is over, it was about more than sex. I knew on that camping trip that I wanted to spend forever with you, Mer, so I bought the ring. I thought you would like something a little less flashy, something simple."

"It's perfect," Meredith replied, smiling as Derek pulled up to the valet parking. She took his hand as he opened her door to pull her to her feet and wrapped an arm around his waist as they walked into the hotel. "And now the fun really begins."

Derek smiled as he pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately. He tried to pry her lips open with his tongue, but she pulled back with a giggle. "We should wait until we're in the room," she whispered. "Come on."

She pulled on his hand as they walked up the stairs. Derek swallowed hard as Meredith nibbled on his ear while he fumbled with the key card in the lock. When he finally got the door open, he pulled Meredith into the room and dragged her to the bed, letting the door slam closed behind them. Meredith giggled as she pushed Derek onto his back, straddling his hips. "I want to show you how much I love my ring," she whispered in his ear.

Derek flipped her over onto her back, hovering over her as he stared into her eyes. "I'm not going to say no to that," he whispered. "But first I want to make love to you, long and slow."

Meredith swallowed hard as she looked up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What are you waiting for?" she whispered huskily before she began to nibble his ear gently.

"God, Mer," Derek moaned, pulling her into a sitting position so he could pull her shirt over her head. He reached behind her to unhook her bra, allowing her breasts to spill free to his hungry gaze. He eagerly leaned forward, taking a nipple into her mouth and sucking gently.

"Derek," Meredith breathed, leaning her head back as she threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him close to her body. "Please…"

Derek smiled as he trailed his lips down to her stomach, circling his tongue around her belly button. "You're so beautiful, Mer," he whispered as his hands began to work on the button of her shorts. "So damn gorgeous."

"You're…oh, God…not so bad yourself," Meredith gasped breathlessly. "God, Derek."

He dropped her shorts and underwear off the side of the bed and smiled slyly at her from his place between her legs. "You're ready, Mer," he murmured as he trailed his lips along her thighs. "What do you want?"

"You," Meredith murmured. "You…naked and inside."

Derek smiled as he leaned back to strip himself of his clothes. "I can do that," he whispered as he pushed her gently onto her back and hovered above her. "I love you, Mer."

"Love you too," Meredith whispered as he sank into her. She moaned as she pressed her hand into his back and wrapped her legs around his waist, effectively keeping him buried deep inside of her. "Derek…."

Derek groaned at the feeling of Meredith's hands on his back. He could feel the cool steel of her ring pressing into his back and he felt a wave of pleasure rush over him. He was making love to Meredith Grey, his fiancé, and he knew that he had to make every moment of this night count. He tried to pull his hips out of her and thrust, but Meredith kept her legs tight around him, preventing him from moving. "Mer…" he moaned, reaching down to massage her breasts. "Please…"

"Der," Meredith whispered. "Please, just…let's stay like this for a minute. It's…safe."

Derek swallowed hard as he buried his face in Meredith's hair, inhaling the deep scent of lavender. He could feel every part of their body completely connected, and he completely understood what she meant. Feeling every part of her pressed against every inch of him made it seem as if they were truly one person, that nothing could come between them. He swallowed hard as he breathed in her scent, trying to remember every single aspect of this moment, not wanting to forget a single thing about being tangled up with Meredith in this moment.

"Der," Meredith murmured, loosening her grip around his waist. "Please…move…"

Derek raised his hips and pulled out of her gently before he sank into her again, causing them both to moan in pleasure. They made love slowly to the gentle rhythm that Derek had created, completely in sync with each other as they moved together. After a few moments, Derek collapsed on top of her, resting his head against her chest as they both struggled to catch their breath.

"Oh wow," Meredith whispered as she stroked his hair and gently pressed a kiss to his temple. "That was…"

"Completely amazing," Derek replied, his voice muffled by her chest. They laid together in a post sex haze for a few minutes, a fine sheen of sweat covering their bodies. After a few moments of lying together, Derek rolled off of Meredith but stayed close, still resting his head on her chest. He reached to pick up her left hand, running his thumb gently over the silver band. "It fits well," he murmured.

"It's perfect," Meredith assured him, running her right hand through his hair. "Thank you, Derek. For the ring, for this trip, for making sure that your family accepts me…for loving me."

"Mer, I will always love you," Derek whispered softly. "And when we go home, the first thing we're doing is calling a contractor to get the house plans underway."

Meredith giggled as she reached down to pull the sheet over their naked bodies. "Do we get to design the house?" she asked.

"Of course," Derek replied. "Anything you want."

"Hmmm," Meredith sighed. "I want a wrap around porch. And the master bedroom has to look over the lake. And…rooms for the kids."

"Oh," Derek breathed. He still couldn't believe the changes that had come over her in the past week. Prior to leaving Seattle, she hadn't even wanted to meet his family. Now she had promised him forever and was talking to him about building houses and having kids. "That's good, they should all have their own rooms."

"When do you want to get married?" Meredith asked.

"I'll marry you whenever you want," Derek replied with a warm smile. "Tell me the date and time and I'll be there."

Meredith smiled softly. "I just…I love you, Derek, I really do. And I want to marry you. But I'm still an intern and if we're building a house…I don't know how much I can deal with at once."

Derek reached forward to brush some hair out of her eyes. "It's okay, Mer," he said softly. "If you want to wait a year or two, that's fine with me. You've promised me forever, and I couldn't even ask for more."

Meredith smiled as she snuggled closer, wrapping her legs in his. "How about a year and a half?" she whispered. "I'll be done with my residency by then, and the house should be done, so we can concentrate on planning a wedding."

"That sounds perfect," Derek replied, kissing her gently. "Now, I seem to remember you wanting to thank me for that ring I put on your finger…"

Meredith laughed as he pulled her on top of him and tickled her gently, before pulling her down to him for a searing kiss. "Oh, I will thank you," she murmured into his ear, preparing for round two. As she reached up to run her fingers through his hair, her ring caught the spotlight and she felt her heart skip a beat. She was getting married, and she couldn't have been happier.


	16. Chapter 16

Meredith giggled as she allowed Derek to pull her along the path of the lagoon that sat in the middle of the World Showcase in Epcot. They were meeting his family for dinner in "Italy", officially celebrating their engagement with the rest of the family. They'd spent the entire day together, and she was sure she couldn't have been happier. Derek was officially hers forever now, and for the first time in her life she felt completely safe and happy where she was, without feeling the need to run.

"Mer," Derek said softly, suddenly stopping and pulling her close to him. "I love you."

Meredith smiled as she leaned up to press her lips against his. "I love you too," she said softly.

"I'm not ready to share you with the family yet," Derek sighed, burying his nose in her hair. "How about we just go home and live in the trailer for the rest of our lives?"

Meredith smiled as she pulled away from him and tugged on his hand. "They're your family, Derek," she said as they approached the restaurant. "We're leaving tomorrow, you have to spend time with them."

Derek sighed as he followed her along. "But I want sex."

"Derek!" Meredith cried, turning around to face him, her cheeks dark pink. "Disney World, we're in Disney World. There are kids around."

"So let's go home," Derek insisted. "Everyone at the hospital believes in sex."

"So you finally decided to see the light of day," Mark's laughter sounded from behind them. "You look happy, Shep."

Derek grinned as he wrapped his arms around Meredith. "I am happy," he replied. "I finally convinced this beautiful woman to spend forever with me."

"Unless I kill you first," Meredith muttered, but leaned into his embrace anyways.

Mark laughed as he followed them into the restaurant. "Everyone's here already," he said. "Mom insisted on having the back room all to ourselves so we could really celebrate."

"Oh," Meredith breathed, squeezing Derek's hand tightly as they entered a room in the back of the restaurant that was filled with Derek's family. She looked around in amazement, fully realizing how much she was gaining by marrying Derek. Not only was she going to be able to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved more than anything, but she was going to be able to get the help and support of an entire family, something that she had never experienced before. As Emma approached her and took her gently into a motherly embrace, Meredith felt her eyes begin to water.

"Welcome to our family, Meredith," Emma said gently. "I can't imagine anyone better for my baby boy."

Meredith smiled softly. "Thank you," she said softly. "You've been so amazing, and… just thank you."

"You're welcome, dear," Emma said gently, squeezing her hand. "We're all so grateful that you're apart of our family now."

Meredith nodded and swallowed hard, leaning into Derek's side. She knew that if she tried to say anything she would burst into tears of happiness, and that was the last thing she needed right now. She felt Derek squeeze her gently, and guide her to a seat. "It's okay, Mer," he said softly. "Let's just get some food and enjoy the rest of our time with the family, okay?"

Meredith smiled softly. "Okay," she said. "I'm sorry, I just…I'm a little overwhelmed."

Derek squeezed her hand and smiled softly. "It's okay," he said. "Frankly, I'm surprised that you lasted this whole week without freaking out once. Stay here with Mark, and I'll get you some food, okay?"

"Thank you," Meredith whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

Derek gave her hand one more squeeze before he turned to walk towards the small buffet that was set up in the corner. Meredith glanced around the room, where all of Derek's sisters were trying to keep their kids from getting covered in spaghetti sauce before she turned back to Mark and offered him a shaky smile.

"It's a little overwhelming, isn't it, Grey?" Mark asked.

"What?" Meredith asked softly, surprised that Mark had stepped out of his usual arrogant attitude to a caring friend.

"Meeting the Shepherds," Mark replied. He shook his head softly, a smile playing on his lips. "I remember the first time I went to their house. It was right after the first day of third grade, Derek said he had some comic books I could read. So I got off the bus with him, and went into the house…and there was Mom, being all mom like, his sisters were running around teasing him, and I remember thinking that that was what life as supposed to be."

Meredith smiled softly. "You're lucky that you found them when you were still young," she said. "They're wonderful. I just wish that I knew how to be apart of a family."

Mark smiled as and squeezed her shoulder as Derek walked back to them. "If there's one thing Shepherds know how to do, it's how to welcome outsiders into their family," he said with a smile. "Welcome to the family, Grey."

"Thanks, Mark," Meredith smiled, honored to see Mark momentarily step out of his normally arrogant personality. Derek returned to the table and smiled softly at her as he placed a plate of pasta down in front of her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Meredith responded by leaning forward and pressing a firm kiss to his lips. "Thank you," she whispered breathlessly as she pulled away, leaning her forehead against his.

Derek smiled as he laced his fingers through his. "Not that I'm complaining," he said. "But what was that for?"

"For sharing your family with me," Meredith whispered. "I've never had this before, Derek, and…now I can't imagine not being apart of this. I know that I just met them a couple days ago but…they're my family."

Derek grinned as he pressed a kiss to her head before resting his cheek against the top of her head. "You don't have to thank me, Mer," he said softly. "I want you to be apart of this. And I promise that you'll never be alone again."

Meredith smiled softly as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Okay," she said. "Can we have fun now?"

Derek laughed as he pulled her to her feet. "How about we dance?" he asked.

"Dance?" Meredith repeated. "Derek, no one is dancing. And you told me you don't dance."

"I know, but I want to dance with you," Derek replied. "And they're dancing," he said, gesturing to Cristina and Andrew, who were hugging each other tightly as they spun in circles.

"They're two and four," Meredith replied.

"I'm getting the impression you don't want to dance with me," he said. "I'm hurt."

Before Meredith could respond, Emma walked over to the two of them and rested a hand on Derek's arm. "I think your ego is a little big, dear," she said. "I'm sure Meredith knows she doesn't need to feed it anymore."

Meredith giggled as Derek stared at his mother in shock. When he finally regained his voice, he said, "Thanks, Mom. It feels good when you tell me I'm too arrogant." Meredith giggled some more, and he turned to walk away in a huff, mumbling under his breath.

"Poor Derek," Meredith said as she sat back down with Emma, who waved a hand in dismissal.

"He'll be fine," she said before she leaned forward and rested her hand on top of Meredith's. "Meredith, I want you to know how happy we all are that you are apart of our family. Derek loves you so much, and to be honest, I'm not sure I've ever seen him as happy as he is right now."

Meredith smiled. "Thank you," she said softly. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course," Emma said, smiling encouragingly.

"I love Derek," Meredith said. "I mean, I think that's pretty obvious, but…he's the first person I've loved that has ever loved me back. And a week ago…I couldn't even tell him that. I was so scared that if I told him I loved him he would freak out and leave me, just like everyone else has. But now, being here…I see how he was raised, and how he grew up with so much love. And I know that he won't leave me. That means more to me than anything else in the world. So I should be thanking you for making Derek into the amazing man that he is. Because he told me how you raised him to be a gentleman, and…well, I'm really glad you did that, because it made him into the first man who's ever loved me."

"Oh, Meredith," Emma breathed, leaning forward to wrap her arms around her future daughter in law. "I'm so sorry that you had such a terrible childhood. And Derek does love you, I can see it in his eyes. Maybe I did start well by raising the way I did, but it was you who made him into the good man he is today. He was never this happy, or this kind and generous when he lived in New York."

Meredith frowned. "But when I met him he was already…Derek," she said.

"Yes, and you've seen him everyday for the past year," Emma replied. "I haven't. And as much as that pains me, seeing him now…there is a drastic change for the better in his personality. And I truly believe that it was you who brought that change out, who allowed Derek to be who he really is."

Meredith sat back in her seat, amazed at the thought that she had so much power over Derek. She knew that he held so much power for who she was; just in the past week she had become a completely different person, and she loved who she was now. But Derek was strong. He'd never needed to depend on anyone for anything, but now she was finding out that he did need her to be the person he really wanted to be.

"Aunt Meredith!" Andrew cried, running over to her. "Aunt Meredith, will you dance with me?"

Meredith smiled as she looked at Emma. "Well, Meredith," she said, giving her a warm smile. "If I were you, I could never turn down such a handsome gentleman."

Meredith laughed as she leaned forward to hug Emma. "Thank you," she whispered softly before she stood and picked Andrew up. "Alright, Andrew, are you ready to dance?"

Andrew nodded, suddenly becoming shy as his cheeks turned red. "You're real pretty, Aunt Meredith," he said softly.

"Thank you Andrew," Meredith said, trying to bite back a laugh. "And can I tell you a secret?" she whispered loudly as she saw Derek approaching them. Andrew nodded, and Meredith whispered, her eyes on Derek, "You're more handsome than your Uncle Derek."

Andrew smiled brightly and he rested his head on Meredith's shoulder as Derek reached the two of them. "I see how it is," he said. "You refuse to dance with me, but you'll dance with my nephew. I don't know, Mer, maybe you don't want to get married after all."

"Maybe I don't," Meredith teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Well, then I guess I can take my ring back," Derek said, reaching for her hand.

"No!" Meredith cried. With a dramatic sigh, she looked down at Andrew. "Well, Andrew, is it okay if I dance with Uncle Derek so I can keep my pretty ring?"

Andrew sighed dramatically, but he let Meredith set him on his feet. "Fine," he said. He turned to look at Derek and said seriously, "she's real special Uncle Derek. You should make sure to take good care of her."

Derek smiled warmly at Meredith as he crouched down to Andrew's level. "I'll make you a deal, bud," he said. "I promise that I'm going to treat your Aunt Meredith better than any of the princesses. But if you think I'm not doing a good enough job, you tell me, okay?"

"Okay," Andrew said solemnly. Derek pulled him into a hug and planted a kiss on the top of his head before Andrew ran off to be with his cousins and Derek stood back to full height, pulling Meredith into his arms. "So it looks like I have made a very serious promise to take care of you."

Meredith smiled as she leaned in to press her lips against his. "And you didn't when you proposed?" she asked.

Derek laughed as he tightened his arms around her. "The poor little guy has a crush on you," he said. "I have to make sure you're well taken care of for his sake."

"Oh, well, I'm glad to know where I stand," Meredith said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Derek?"

"Hmm?" he asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I can't wait to marry you."

"Me either, Mer," he whispered as he buried his face in her neck. As he breathed in the soothing sent of lavender, he knew that this truly was the land of magic. Somehow, he had been able to convince this amazing woman who had never had anyone love her before to marry him, to really depend on him forever. And he knew that years from now, when they brought their kids here for family vacation, he would love her just as much as he did at this very moment.

**Okay, so thanks to everyone who is still reading this. I want to get your opinions on whether I should keep going with this fic, end it and write a sequel, or end it and start a completely new one. Please let me know what you think :)  
**


	17. Chapter 17

Derek tried not to laugh as he watched Meredith pace the small expanse of the trailer. Since they had returned from Florida two days before, they had stayed at the trailer to celebrate their engagement privately before they had to return to the hospital. Last night, however, Meredith had seemed to remember that she had to explain to her friends and coworkers that she and Derek were engaged, causing her to dive into a freak out on a level so high he hadn't ever witnessed before.

He knew that she wanted to be engaged. Sometime in the past three hours since Meredith had started her rant, she had been sure to tell him that at least twelve times. Then he had stopped counting. But beyond knowing that she wanted to marry him and that she loved him, she wasn't sure of much else. She was trying to work through everything out loud, which provided Derek with quite the entertainment value while he got ready for work. Now, though, they were going to be late, if they didn't leave soon.

"Should we tell the chief first? Because I think it would make sense to tell the chief first, because he is the chief. But at the same time he kind of hates you because of the whole affair thing with my mother, and he has that crazy thought that he's my father. And I should probably tell Christina before we tell anyone else, but I think if I tell her first she'll try to take me out of it which I really don't want because I want to marry you, but she has a way of scaring me out of things that I really want…"

"Mer…"

"But if I tell Izzy first she'll get all cute and squealy and ask for the date and want to start planning the wedding right now. Not that I don't want to plan the wedding right now, but we agreed to wait at least until my internship is over, and maybe part of my residency…"

"Meredith."

"And there's Bailey, who will probably just roll her eyes and never let me scrub in with you again which really sucks because I like scrubbing in with you and I was going to go neuro, but when Bailey finds out that we're engaged she'll think that you're giving me surgeries because you're my fiancé, and she'll never let me work with you ever again, which means I'll have to find a new specialty. Maybe I'll go general because there's nothing else that I really love, except maybe plastics, but then I would work with Mark a lot, which you wouldn't like."

"Meredith," Derek said firmly, trying to take her hand in his.

"Mark and Addison are entirely separate issue, but they're going to hear that we're engaged, which is weird for you, because I'll have to work with your ex-wife and I'll be your new wife. And even though Mark already knows and I think you two are getting along better, he's still in love with Addison, which is awkward because I'm not sure you and he could ever really be friends because if he's with your ex-wife then it would be hard for you to really hang out and talk about guy things, because I think the only thing guys ever talk about is sex, and well, that's just weird."

This was getting out of control, Derek decided as he stood and walk confidently towards Meredith before taking her firmly into his arms and kissing her passionately, effectively cutting her off. She struggled against him at first, but as his tongue gently pried her lips apart she allowed herself to get lost in his kiss and lean into his comforting warmth. They stood together in the small trailer for a moment before Derek finally pulled back to catch a breath. Meredith leaned her forehead against his for a moment and smiled softly.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I'm probably driving you crazy."

Derek pressed his lips against her nose in a gentle kiss. "Actually, I found it quite amusing," he said with a smile. "I just thought you might want to know that our shift starts in exactly sixty-three minutes."

Meredith's eyes went wide as she glanced down at her watch before she grabbed his hand and ran out of the trailer. "Why didn't you stop me sooner?" she cried as she shoved him into the driver's side.

"You were cute," Derek said with a shrug. "I like watching you ramble."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said. She leaned her head back against the headrest, allowing herself to relax in the few precious moments before they walked back into the hospital. "Der?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Hmm?" he asked, reaching over the gearshift to take her hand and squeeze it gently.

"How do you think we should tell people?"

"Honestly?" Derek asked. "I don't think we should tell anyone."

Meredith narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "You don't want to tell anyone? How are we going to have any guests at our wedding? What happens when I change my name and I'm Dr. Shepherd too? What about when…"

"You're going to change your name?" Derek asked, a bright smile playing on his lips.

"Don't change the subject," Meredith snapped. "You don't want people to know we're getting married?"

"I didn't say that," Derek defended as he pulled into line to wait for the ferry and put the car in park. He turned to look at her, smiling at her pout. "I said we don't have to tell anyone. You wear your ring, we refer to each other as fiancé, we act like we're engaged. We're the stars of the hospital gossip, Mer, I'm sure everyone will find out before the day is over."

Meredith looked at him for a moment. He was right, she knew he was right, and she finally gave in and leaned into his touch. "Fine," she said, leaning forward to kiss him. As she pulled back, the ferry opened and Derek expertly maneuvered the car onto the boat. They got out of the car and stood out on the balcony, Derek's arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he buried his nose in her hair. "I'm going to change my name," she whispered.

Derek tightened his arms around her for a moment before he pressed his lips to her neck. "Mmmm," he murmured. "I'm glad."

Meredith leaned back into his warm embrace. "I just…I don't want to be a Grey anymore. Greys have problems and Shepherds…Shepherds have family and love. And that's what I want. I want to be a Shepherd."

"I want you to be a Shepherd too," Derek whispered into her hair. "God…the thought of you as Mrs. Shepherd…that's the most amazing thing I've ever heard."

"Dr. Shepherd," Meredith corrected gently.

"Hmm?" Derek asked, incorrectly assuming that she was addressing him.

"I'll be Dr. Shepherd," Meredith said. "Not Mrs. Shepherd."

"Maybe to the rest of the world," Derek replied. "But to me…you'll be Mrs. Shepherd."

Meredith giggled as she turned in his arms to lock her arms tightly around his neck. "So I'm branded as _yours?" _she asked playfully.

Derek paused, wondering whether she was seriously offended by his comment. After a moment, he decided to play on the safe side and pressed a kiss to the top of Meredith's head. "Mer, I know better than to claim you as mine," he said. "But just for my sake… let me call you Mrs. Shepherd once in awhile."

Meredith laughed as she looked up at him. "Derek, I know you're not like that," she said. "I'm not worried about you trying to domesticate you or whatever."

"Good, because I'm pretty sure any energy that I put into that goal would be wasted," Derek teased.

"Shut up," Meredith grumbled, pulling out of his arms and walking back to the car as they ferry neared the dock. She climbed into the passenger seat and watched as Derek started the car and drove carefully off of the boat. They were quiet as they made their way into the hospital parking lot, each of them anticipating how their day would go. Derek was right; it would be a miracle if the entire hospital didn't know about their engagement by lunchtime. She breathed deeply, trying to remind herself that she and Derek weren't using each other, and they would never use the other for surgeries. No matter what anyone said, she knew the truth, and that was all that mattered. Derek loved her and they were going to get married, so she didn't need to be nervous.

Derek pulled into his designated parking spot and shut the car off, turning to look at Meredith. He studied her for a moment before he leaned in to brush some hair to the side of her face. "It'll be fine, Mer," he said softly. "I'll be there all day too. Come to my office if it becomes too much."

Meredith nodded as she leaned into his touch. "I love you," she whispered, needing to hear him say it back.

"I love you too," Derek whispered, pressing his lips against hers. "Ready?"

Meredith nodded, and he offered her an encouraging smile. "Okay," he said softly. "Let's go."

They walked into the hospital together and into the elevator, their hands clutching each other's tightly. Derek walked Meredith to the locker room and gave her an encouraging hand squeeze before continuing on his way to his own office. Meredith watched him leave and stood outside the locker room for a moment, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths as she tried to convince herself to go in and see her friends.

"What are you doing out here?" a voice cut into her inner rambling. "We have rounds in five minutes."

Meredith turned to see Izzie standing in front of her, a frown on her face. "Meredith? Are you okay? How was Florida? How was Derek's family?"

Meredith snapped back to reality as she nodded and pushed the door to the locker room open. "I'm good," she replied. "Florida was…amazing."

Izzie giggled. "Oh, that's so great!" she cried. "I knew Derek would…wait, what's that on your hand?"

Meredith froze as she looked down at her left hand. She glanced up to see her fellow interns staring at her expectantly and smiled nervously. "Um…it's an engagement ring," she said nonchalantly.

Before she knew it, the room turned into chaos. Izzie shrieked her congratulations and rushed to hug her, Alex mumbled a sarcastic remark, George rambled awkwardly, and Christina said something about how marriage was for weaklings who were dependant on others. Meredith tried to breathe and address each person's awkward form of congratulations. Luckily, she didn't have to worry, as a loud voice quickly demanded, "What is going on in here?"

"Dr. Bailey," Meredith breathed in relief.

"Grey," Bailey said with a sigh. "You come back from vacation and the rest of my interns go crazy. What the hell is going on?"

"Dr. Bailey," Izzie squealed, tugging Meredith's hand closer to Bailey. "Meredith and McDreamy are engaged!" Meredith winced at the use of Derek's nickname. Although it was very true, Izzie's use of the name to address their boss made it seem so…high school.

Bailey looked from Izzie to Meredith's ring to Meredith's face. "You're marrying the head of neuro?" she asked. "My intern is marrying the head of neuro?"

Meredith nodded meekly, somewhat terrified of Bailey's response. Instead of freaking out like Meredith expected, Bailey simply looked down at her notes and mumbled something about the dark haired fool who called himself a neurosurgeon. "Alright, everyone, rounds. This is not an engagement party," Bailey snapped. "O'Malley, you're with Shepherd, Stevens with Burke, Karev, Shepherd, and Grey…Montgomery."

Meredith froze as she was about to pull her lab coat on. Addison. The first day at work as an engaged woman and she had to work with her fiancé's ex wife. In a quick motion, she unhooked the flower necklace Derek had bought her at the jewelry store in Downtown Disney and slid her engagement ring onto it. She rushed to follow the rest of her interns out the door to start their day, but Bailey stopped her.

"Grey," she said softly. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you."

"Oh," Meredith blinked in surprise. "Thank you."

"Now get going," Bailey snapped back into boss mode. "I don't want to get the reputation of having my interns being late for rounds."

Meredith nodded as she hurried down the hallway towards the maternity ward. She found Addison standing at the nurse's station flipping through a chart and took a deep breath as she approached her. "Dr. Montgomery?" she asked nervously.

"Dr. Grey," Addison glanced at her for a moment before she turned back to her chart. "How was your time off?"

"It was…good," Meredith replied, wondering how much Addison knew about where she had gone during her vacation.

"She's wonderful, isn't she?" Addison asked as she closed the chart.

Meredith frowned. "I'm sorry," she said. "Who are you talking about?"

"My former mother in law," Addison replied. "And, from what I hear, your future one. Our patient's room is this way."

Meredith stared after Addison for a moment before she took off after her, suddenly knowing that it was going to be a very long day.

**Thanks for the input everyone. I'm going to continue with this story until it gets old :) I'm glad people are still reading**


	18. Chapter 18

As Meredith tried to get through her morning without having a panic attack, Derek let himself into his office, a smile playing on his face. A quick peek at the OR board on his way to the office had told him that Meredith was working on Addison's service today, and he was slightly worried about how she would handle that. He was almost surprised that he hadn't received a series of rambling text messages yet, but he knew that wasn't anything for her to worry about; Addison may not have been a good wife for him, but she wasn't a bad person. And Derek could hope that Addison hadn't even heard about the engagement.

He loved his office here, he decided as he settled in again; it was small and personal, and he made sure to make it feel like him. From the comfortable, worn chair behind the desk to the overstuffed couch in the corner, Derek had made sure to make it comfortable and inviting, as opposed to in style and fancy as his office had been in New York.

From his bag, Derek pulled a few new pictures from the trip; the one of him and Meredith in front of the Castle was placed facing him on his desk, the one of him with his sisters on Tower of Terror on top of the filing cabinet, and the one of the entire family monopolizing the space in front of the Epcot ball sat on the shelf above his desk.

There was a knock on the door and he looked up the see Addison standing hesitantly in the doorway, ringing her hands together. "Derek?" she asked quietly. "Can I um…talk to you?"

"Sure," Derek smiled warmly, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. Addison came in and sat down, perched on the edge of her chair, back straight, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She was clearly uncomfortable.

"Addison," Derek said. "You can relax. I know we're not married anymore, but we're not strangers. We can be friends."

"Friends," Addison repeated softly.

"Yeah," Derek said with a sigh. "I think…sometimes I think everything would have been better if we had just stayed friends, you know?"

Addison nodded softly. "I sent your fiancé to do labs," she said randomly.

So she did know. "Addison," Derek said softly, walking around the front of his desk and sitting down in the chair beside her. "Is that what this is about?"

"No," Addison said softly, shaking her head. "I knew it was going to happen. The entire time we were here trying to make our marriage work, you were just falling more in love with her."

Derek stared at her for a moment before he nodded, looking down at his hands. "I was," he admitted. "I'm not proud of that, Addison, but Meredith…I can't not love her."

"I know what you mean," Addison replied. "In New York, with Mark…it was the same way."

Derek felt his stomach start to churn, and he suddenly wished Meredith was there so he could cling to her hand. Addison was about to tell him something bad, and he desperately wanted Meredith there to comfort him, to make him remember what was important in life. "The time I caught you and Mark," he asked evenly, trying to control his anger. "Was that the first time?"

"Yes," Addison replied immediately. "And Derek, you should know that it was my fault. I was the one who initiated it, and Mark…I had to convince him to do it. But even though that was the first night, there had always been something between Mark and I. Maybe not at first, because you and I were happy, at least I thought we were. But we got busy, and you stayed at late work, and Mark and I…we talked a lot. And by that night…I didn't know it at the time, but I think I loved him."

Derek swallowed hard. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"You need to know the truth," Addison replied. "You deserve the truth. If it were up to me, I would never tell you this, but…you deserve to know."

"Know what?" Derek asked, willing this conversation to be over so he could just know what had happened at home those first few months that he had lived out here.

"Mark and I…we lived together," Addison said softly. "And I…I loved him. I had the divorce papers all ready, I was ready to sign them and fax them to you. But then I found out that…I was pregnant."

Derek swallowed hard. "Pregnant," he repeated. "With Mark's baby."

"I couldn't do it, Derek," Addison said. "I know the major problem in our marriage was the fact that you wanted kids and I didn't. But when that stick turned pink…there was nothing more that I wanted than to have your baby. Not Mark's."

"So you came out here," Derek concluded, looking at the ceiling. "What happened to the baby?"

"I…I couldn't do it," Addison replied. "And when Mark found out, he was so angry with me, and I just couldn't handle it anymore. I realized how much I missed you, and so when Richard called, I thought it was a sign that we should get back together."

Derek felt rage surge through his body. He remembered Richard, lying in his hospital bed after his brain surgery, lecturing him about getting involved with Meredith, an intern. At the time, Derek had thought Richard was worried about the politics within the hospital; Derek was Meredith's boss, and morally speaking he shouldn't have been sleeping with her.

But Derek's relationship with Meredith, unlike Richard's affair with Ellis, was about more than sex. Derek had quickly fallen in love with Meredith, and he knew now that Richard had called Addison out because he didn't want Derek to hurt Meredith, not because he didn't want his interns and attendings involved together.

"Derek," Addison said softly. "Are you okay?"

Derek swallowed hard. "I…Addison, I hated you and Mark for what you did," he said softly. "But now Mark and I have been able to start building our friendship up again, and I don't want to damage that. And in the end, I'm getting everything I've ever wanted with Meredith. So I can't hate you anymore. If you hadn't slept with Mark, I would never have moved out here and met Meredith."

"And you would still be miserable with me in New York," Addison said sadly. She took a deep breath before she stood, looking down at him. "I just thought you should know all this. And I wanted to say I'm sorry. You don't deserve to deal with so much shit."

Derek smiled softly as he stood. "It's okay, Addie," he replied. "Everything's worked out for the best."

"Yeah," Addison replied. She looked down at the floor for a moment before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Derek's neck, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Congratulations, Derek."

Derek hesitated for a moment before he returned the hug. "Thanks," he whispered.

Addison pulled back after a moment and smiled slightly. "I have to get to work," she said. "I'll see you around."

Derek collapsed into his chair as she walked out of his office, his mind working in overdrive. As he worked through everything Addison had just told him, he suddenly realized that the only thing he needed to know was that he and Meredith loved each other, and that was enough.

XXXXXX

When Meredith finally found Addison stepping out of the elevator onto the maternity floor, she tentatively approached her with the lab results. "Dr. Montgomery, I have the lab results you asked for," she said as she handed the chart to Addison. "Everything looks good, I think we can go ahead with the surgery."

"Good," Addison said, glancing over the chart. "Book the OR."

Meredith nodded and looked down at the floor for a moment before she said, "Dr. Montgomery…I'm sorry. About Derek and everything."

Addison shook her head. "I've had enough apologies for today, Dr. Grey," she said. "He's happy with you. That's all I've ever wanted for him."

"Oh," Meredith said. "Um…thank you."

"And congratulations," Addison added with a genuine smile. "I know meeting the Shepherds isn't the easiest thing in the world. From what I hear, you did remarkably well," she called over her shoulder as she walked towards their patient's room.

Meredith shook her head in surprise before she turned to book the OR. As she stood at the nurse's station, she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket and took it out to find a text from Derek.

_Miss you. Come to my office for more celebration when you get the chance ;) _

Meredith rolled her eyes as she texted him back and told him that he had a job to do, but couldn't help the smile that came over her lips. She had someone to miss her while she worked, someone who couldn't wait to be with her. And the fact that that someone was as amazing as Derek only made her life that much better.

She finished filling out the paperwork and slid into the seat behind the desk. She looked down at her left hand and frowned, noticing how empty her ring finger looked. Now that Addison knew about the engagement, she could wear her ring without feeling guilty. She gently unhooked her necklace and slid her ring back where it belonged, unable to suppress the grin that spread across her face as she noticed how perfect it looked.

"Well, I must say that the man who gave you that amazing ring is one lucky guy," a very familiar voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see her fiancé standing before him, a classic McDreamy smile playing across his lips.

"Yes, well, he's very protective," Meredith said with a smile, playing along. "So you better not hit on me. He's been known to punch guys for talking to me."

Derek laughed as he leaned forward. "He's probably just afraid someone will sweep you off your feet, leaving him alone."

Meredith grinned as she stood and moved around the desk, leaning close to him. "Derek, that will never happen," she said softly. She looked around for a moment before she pressed her lips against his. "Now," she said coyly, backing away from him as she held onto his hand. "I seem to remember something about celebrating some more…"

Derek grinned as he followed her down the hall. "I do believe my office needs to be christened," he agreed.

Meredith giggled and pressed the elevator button, casually grazing Derek's rapidly growing erection through his scrubs as the elevator doors slid open. Relieved to see the car empty, Derek dragged Meredith on board and closed the doors, desperate for a moment alone with her. As he pressed her against the wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist, Meredith giggled slightly into his mouth and he pulled back to look at her.

"You know when's not a good time to laugh at me?" he asked. "When we're about to have sex in the elevator."

"Sorry," Meredith said, resting her head against his shoulder. "I was just thinking of the first time we did this."

Derek raised his eyebrows. "You remember the first time we had sex?" he asked. "Because if you do, that means you were more sober than I was, and we can finally settle the who took advantage of who debate."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "The first time we almost had sex in the elevator," she replied. She leaned forward and whispered seductively in his ear, "I think I'm just about ready for that marker now."

"Took you long enough," Derek whispered into her mouth before sliding his tongue inside to tangle with hers.

Just as it had that first time, the elevator doors dinged to signal their arrival on the surgical floor, and Meredith pulled away from Derek to walk towards his office. He followed close behind her, eager to reach to privacy of his office so they could really be alone.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Derek pushed Meredith onto the couch and kissed her passionately. "God, I love you, Mer," he whispered as he lowered himself on top of her and planted kisses on the skin exposed by her scrub top.

"I love you too," Meredith whispered, threading her fingers through his hair. "Mmm, this has to be fast."

"I can be fast," Derek murmured as he slid her scrub top over her head. "Fast and dirty?"

Meredith smiled as he felt his tongue trace the outline of her bra. "You like dirty," she said. "You're my dirty boy."

Derek grinned mischievously as he untied her scrub pants. "You're good at dirty."

Meredith threw her head back in pleasure, her fingers pulling on his hair as he worked his magic on her. She allowed herself to experience pure bliss as he took her away, forgetting everything but him and her and their amazing engagement.


	19. Chapter 19

Meredith walked out of her surgery with Addison four hours later, a sense of accomplishment settling over her. Addison had successfully separated the placentas of the twins their patient was carrying, and it looked that the rest of the pregnancy would be a successful one. She stood beside Addison as they scrubbed out, and she couldn't help notice the way that Addison eyed her hands as she slid her engagement ring back into place.

It was ironic, Meredith thought, as she recalled how months ago she had felt sick to her stomach as she watched Addison slip her flashy rings on. She felt a sudden sense of guilt sweep over her as she realized that Addison probably felt the same way now.

"That's a beautiful ring, Dr. Grey," Addison said. She leaned against the sink as she asked, "Is it too weird if I ask how he proposed?"

Meredith was caught off guard for a moment before she smiled slightly, thinking back on the proposal. "No," she replied. "It was…well, probably the most unromantic proposal ever. But it was perfect, for us. I could tell something had been bothering him all day, and when I asked him about it, he said he couldn't tell me. I got upset, and I left him alone to go shopping with Alexis. And then when we met him for the fireworks show, he just…asked me." She smiled softly as she looked down at her ring. "I know it's pretty anticlimactic, and when he proposed to you it was probably some perfect proposal. But I loved it."

Addison smiled warmly at her. "It sounds perfect," she said. "Meredith…I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us. I'm happy for you and Derek, I really am. And I'm glad that he's finally happy."

"Thanks," Meredith said, finally relaxing slightly. Addison walked out of the scrub room and Meredith stood still for a moment, trying to process everything that had just happened. A moment later, the door swung open and George walked in.

"Hey, Mer," he said. "How did your surgery go?"

"Good," Meredith replied, snapping back to reality. "Um, you're scrubbing in with Derek, right?"

"Yeah, a crainiotomy," George replied. "Shouldn't be too long."

Meredith smiled. "Good luck," she said over her shoulder as she started to walk out the door.

"Mer," George said, looking up from scrubbing his hands. "Um…congratulations. I know Derek makes you happy, so…I'm happy for you. I mean, I know we've had an awkward past and everything, but I'm glad you're finally happy. You deserve it."

"Thanks, George," Meredith said. She walked out of the scrub room and bumped into a very familiar, very male body. "Hi," she said happily, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at her fiancé. Her _fiancé._

"Hi," Derek replied, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "I hear your surgery was successful, congratulations."

"Thanks," Meredith said. "I'm off now, but I want to wait for you to go home, so I was thinking that maybe I could go to your office and start looking around for contractors for the house while you're in surgery. If that's okay with you."

Derek grinned widely. "That sounds wonderful, Mer," he said. He reached into his lab coat and pulled his keys from his pocket. "We might as well get a copy made for you. We can do that on the way home."

"Me?" Meredith asked.

"Until you're a better surgeon than I am and get a fancier office, I figured we could share mine," Derek said. Leaning closer, he whispered, "You did a pretty good job of christening it this morning."

"Derek," Meredith blushed, looking around to see if anyone heard.

"Okay, I've got to go," Derek said. "I'll come find you when the surgery's over."

Meredith leaned onto her tip toes to kiss him lightly. "Good luck," she wished him. "I love you."

"Love you too," Derek replied, giving her hand a squeeze. He turned to walk into the scrub room and Meredith walked towards the elevators, gripping Derek's keys tightly in her hand. She couldn't believe that he was letting her share his office with her. She couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face at the thought that Derek really wanted to share everything with her. She knew that him allowing her to spend her spare time in his office was him giving her permission to have access to that part of his life, and she couldn't help feeling elation at being included in every part of his life.

She gently eased the key into the lock and opened the door, greeted with an environment that was uniquely Derek. She looked around the office with new eyes, noticing things she hadn't that morning. He'd already added pictures from the vacation; as she sat down behind his desk, she smiled widely at the picture of the two of them that sat facing him. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him love her this much.

With a curious glance around the room, Meredith eased the top drawer of his desk open, wondering if she would find anything interesting in the confines of the desk. The top two were uninteresting; the first contained pens, staplers, and other office supplies, the next some paperwork on current and recent cases. The bottom drawer, however, was a gold mine.

Meredith had to bite back a laugh as she pulled the drawer open and immediately saw a small bottle of scotch. Only Derek, she thought as she looked further to find a framed picture of a small boy, probably seven or eight, with a man who was obviously his father. The boy held up a fishing rod with a small fish attached, and the father smiled proudly, his hand resting on the boy's shoulder. Meredith's breath caught in her throat as she realized that the boy was Derek. The entire time she had been with his family the week before, she had been curious as to why no one ever mentioned the Shepherd patriarch. She knew he had died while Derek was in high school, but other than that no one had told her anything. She bit her lower lip, wondering if she should ask him to tell her about his father. Dead or alive, he was her father in law, and she wanted to know about the man who had surely shaped Derek into who he was today.

With a sigh, Meredith set the picture aside and peered further into the depths of the drawer. Some pages torn out of coloring books, with crayon scribbled outside the lines, clearly gifts from some of his younger patients, a box of granola bars, and an extra charger for his cell phone sat at the bottom, and she reached beneath them for the corner of a picture she saw.

When the picture came into full view, she gasped out loud and immediately willed that she was going to kill him. Derek Shepherd, the head of neurosurgery at Seattle Grace, her fiancé, had a picture of her, naked and probably in mid-orgasm hidden is his office. A blush crept over her face as she realized that no matter how she thought about it, Derek could only have this picture for one purpose. And thinking back, she couldn't remember a time that they had taken dirty pictures since they had gotten back together, meaning that he'd had this hidden in her the entire time he'd been married to Addison.

Meredith shook her head as she shoved everything back into his desk, not needing someone to come in expecting to talk to Derek and find her going through his very personal belongings. She sighed as she turned to his computer, booting it up to start a search for architects in the area, a smile playing on her lips as she thought of building a house with Derek.

Two hours later, Derek walked into his office and smiled widely at the sight of his fiancé sitting behind his desk, concentrating on the task in front of her. He closed the door and smiled widely as he approached her smiling face.

"Hi," he whispered, stopping behind her to press his lips to her neck. "Whatcha doin?"

"Making a list," Meredith replied, arching her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. "Apparently before you need a contractor, you need an architect. And before you need an architect, you need ideas. So I'm making a list of ideas."

"Mmm, let's see," Derek said, scooping Meredith into his arms and sitting down in the chair himself, settling her on his lap. "Wrap around porch, balcony off the master bedroom, three extra bedrooms…looks good, Mer."

"I thought so," Meredith replied. "And I was thinking…maybe an office? So we can bring paperwork home you know, when we have a family."

"Perfect," Derek grinned. "And a finished basement. With a bar. And a dartboard. Maybe a pool table. And a big screen TV."

Meredith giggled. "You want to turn our basement into Joe's," she said.

Derek scoffed. "It will be my escape," he replied. "You can have an escape room too."

"Oh, you get the entire basement, and I get a room?" Meredith asked. "That's fair, Der."

Derek thought for a moment before he said, "You can have the attic. But I don't even know what you'd use it for. What do you do? Besides me, I mean."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she played with the lapel of his lab coat. "When I was younger," she said softly. "I mean, underneath all the pink hair and black clothes…I loved to read. And I always wanted a library. You know…with built in bookcases, and a fireplace and everything."

"Well, that settles it," he said. "Library in the attic."

"I don't need the entire attic," Meredith rolled her eyes. "Unlike you, I don't need an entire floor for one person."

"It's not just me," Derek insisted. "Mark will come over when the Yankees are on."

"Too bad they suck," Meredith giggled.

"They…what?" Derek breathed, his eyes wide. "You hate the Yankees?"

"I grew up in Boston, Derek. If I wasn't a Red Sox fan, I would have been kicked out of the city."

Derek stared at her. "I'm engaged to a Red Sox fan?" he asked. "I may have to rethink this entire engagement."

"I don't think so," Meredith said. "You'd miss me."

"Maybe I'll find a fiancé who likes the Yankees," Derek countered.

"Good luck finding another girl who can do this," Meredith breathed before she moved to straddle his hips, moving her hips in gentle figure eights as she kissed him passionately. Her hands moved through his hair as her lips moved to the patch of skin behind his left earlobe that she knew drove him crazy, biting and sucking gently.

Derek moaned as he tightened his arms around her. "You're right," he murmured. "That totally makes up for you being a Red Sox fan."

"Good," Meredith giggled, pulling away from him to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Derek pouted, looking down at his very ready erection. "You can't start something and not finish it."

"I have to get changed so we can go home," Meredith giggled. She opened the door and looked over her shoulder as she said, "I think there's something in your bottom drawer that might help you with your problem."

He could hear her laughter as she closed the door behind her and swallowed hard as he realized that she'd found his stash. She would probably have lots of questions for him later, but right now he needed some relief from the torture she had provided him with. With a groan, he reached down to open the drawer and pull the picture of Meredith out as he pulled himself out of his scrub pants, picturing her warm core wrapped around him as he went to work on himself.

XXXXX

A half hour later, a more relaxed Derek met Meredith in the lobby as they prepared to go home. He laced his fingers through hers as they walked out of the hospital, smiling when she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed happily. "What are you thinking?" he asked quietly.

"Just how lucky I am," Meredith replied. "Six months ago, I was alone, and Addison had you and my dog…my life. But now we're here, and I have your ring on my finger and our house plans in my bag. It's just so surreal."

Derek pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he opened the passenger door for her. "It's perfect," he replied. "And you know what I was thinking we could do when we get home?"

Meredith smiled as she leaned across the car and placed her hand on his upper thigh. "I like the way you think, Dr. Shepherd," she murmured seductively.

Derek laughed. "Not that," he said. "Well, not that I'd never say no to that, especially since you just left me in my office to take care of myself, but that's not what I was thinking. I was thinking that we don't have a place for the house yet."

"And you want to find one today," Meredith replied.

"It's not raining for once, it won't be dark for a couple of hours," Derek shrugged. "I figured it would be a good idea to find a place we both like."

"Mmm, that sounds wonderful," Meredith said. She angled her body towards him in her seat and asked, "Remember when we used to walk Doc in the woods?"

"Yeah," Derek smiled softly. "Those mornings with you…I think that's what got me through those months."

"Derek," Meredith said hesitantly, looking down at her hands. "Do you think we should talk about everything? About those months and our lives and…who we are."

Derek frowned as he turned to look at her briefly. "I already know who you are, Mer," he said. "Are you having doubts about the engagement?"

"No!" Meredith cried. "No, not at all. I love you, Derek, so much. And I want to marry you. I just…we don't have to. Forget it."

"No," Derek insisted. "You brought it up for a reason, it's obviously important to you. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Meredith sighed as she turned to look at him. "I just think it's important for us to understand what the other went through," she said. "And I know who you are now, Derek, and I love you. But I want to know who you were. Even if you weren't happy, if you don't like who you were, I still want to know, because that's what made you the man I love."

Derek pulled up to a stop light and turned to look at her. "You're right," he said, reaching forward to brush his hand against her cheek. "We'll talk. Tonight. How about we stop and get some Italian take out and a bottle of wine, and after our walk we can talk. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Thanks," Meredith said in relief. She turned back to face the road as the light changed and Derek eased into motion, feeling a sense of nervous anticipation come over her at the night that was to come.


	20. Chapter 20

"I can't believe I never knew that cliff was here," Derek said as he followed Meredith into the trailer, wrapping his arms around her in an attempt to warm her. "It's perfect."

Meredith smiled as she turned in his arms and pressed her lips against his. "It is," she agreed. "I can't believe that we have a place for our house."

"I love you," Derek whispered into her hair. "God, Mer. I thought no one would ever love me enough to want to live in the middle of nowhere. I'm so glad I found you."

"I love you too," Meredith whispered. "And it's perfect middle of nowhere."

Derek pressed his lips against hers again and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," Meredith replied as she pulled away from him and walked towards the fridge. "How about we stick the linguini in the oven and start our wine while we wait?"

"Works for me," Derek replied as he moved to open the wine. Meredith placed their linguini and garlic bread in the oven to warm, and Derek poured them each a glass of wine and handed her one as they settled on the small couch, Meredith wrapped in his arms. "Here's to our house," he said, clinking his glass against hers.

"To our house," Meredith agreed as they each took a sip. There was an uncomfortable silence in the trailer for a moment before Meredith shifted so she could look at him. "Derek," she asked softly. "Will you tell me about your dad?"

Derek paused for a moment, swallowing hard as he swirled his wine glass, watching the liquid form into a spiral. He never talked about his dad, even to his own family. It was too painful. But Meredith deserved to know.

"Derek," she prodded softly, reaching forward to run her hand through his thick curls. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. But I saw the picture you have in your desk, and I just…I want to know about him. But if it hurts too much, you don't have to."

Derek swallowed hard as he shook his head, tears coming to his eyes. "I want to," he said softly. "I do, I want you to know about him. He was…Dad. He was amazing, and God, he would have loved you."

Meredith smiled softly. "Really?" she asked.

Derek nodded, clutching her hand tightly as he took a sip of wine. "The first time I got my heart broken," he said. "By Teri Armstrong. I was thirteen, and he told me that she wasn't good for me. He said I needed to be with someone who let me be myself, who was willing to accept me for who I was, science geek and marching band in all. And you make me who I am. So he would have loved you."

"I'm glad," Meredith said, giving his hand a squeeze. "He's proud of you, Derek. You're an amazing man and an incredible doctor. I know I didn't know him, but…I'm sure he's proud of you."

"Thanks," Derek said absently. "I remember…that picture in my desk was the first time I caught a fish. When I turned five, we went every summer, to get away from the girls, as he said. I was eight, and that was the first time I ever caught a fish. He was so proud. After that we started going more, at least two or three weekends a year, until…until he died."

Meredith set her glass down on the table and gently took his from his hands before she softly took him into her arms, letting him lean his weight on her and rest his head on her chest. "What happened?" she asked gently, running her fingers through his hair in the way she knew relaxed him. She knew that now that Derek had started talking about his dad, he wanted to keep talking and let it all out.

"He was on his way home," Derek replied. "It wasn't anything special, just a normal night and he'd had a surgery that ran late. He had promised us that he would be home for dinner because he was supposed to go to a conference the next day. But he was late, and he probably sped a little. And…he crashed. Some Goddamn drunk driver just crashed into him and killed him."

"Oh, Derek," Meredith pressed her lips to his forehead, reaching for the tissues on the table and handing him a couple before she returned to his tight embrace. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have made you talk about him."

Derek shook his head as he wiped his eyes and blew his nose. "No, I'm glad you did," he said. "You need to know these things, Mer. I never talk about him because I hate seeming vulnerable. I had to become the man of the house when I was seventeen, and I had to be strong for my mom and sisters. But with you…you can see me vulnerable. I want you to see all of me. And I want you to know that ever since my dad died, October 15th is the worst day of the year, because that's the day he died. And every Christmas, I'm the one who has to help my mom put the presents under the tree and assemble all the presents. And I was the one to walk all my sisters down the aisle, because my dad wasn't there to do it. I want you to know all of that."

Meredith offered him a small smile as she pressed her lips against his. "I'm glad," she said softly. "I want you to know things about me too."

Derek smiled softly as he tilted his head to the side. "Like what?" he asked.

"Like…the fact that I've never had a birthday party," Meredith replied. "And that while you were in med school starting your perfect life with Addison…I was getting drunk and failing out of high school. And every Christmas, I never had a tree or presents, just a check on the table from my mom when I came down in the morning. I'm not telling you this for sympathy or so that you will do these things for me, but because I want you to know these things about me."

Derek smiled softly. "Okay," he said, reaching to brush some hair out of her face. "What else?"

Meredith opened her mouth, but before she could say anything the oven timer buzzed and she stood to get their food out of the oven. Derek followed her to the table, suddenly feeling lighter, more free. Now that Meredith knew about his father, he felt that he could be more himself around her. He'd broken down with her about his father, and now he could tell her things about his past, stories about his father, without making her wonder what had happened and how it made him feel.

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company and basking in the new levels of comfort they now had about their relationship. "Mer?" he asked softly when they finished.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I told you about my parents," Derek said. "And I want to know about yours."

Meredith shook her head as she stood and brought their plates to the sink. "Believe me, Derek, you don't want to know about my parents," she said. "I don't even want to know about my parents."

"Mer," he said softly, reaching for her hand and pulling her to stand in front of him, looking up at her with eager eyes. "I know you had a shitty childhood. And I hate your parents for that. But I want to know. I want to know everything about you, just like you want to know everything about me."

Meredith stared at him for a moment, biting her lower lip as she thought. Finally, she nodded. "Fine," she said. "Can this be a bed conversation instead of a couch conversation?"

"Sure," Derek replied, getting to his feet and following her to the bed. They changed silently into their pajamas, Derek into a pair of plaid pajama pants and Meredith into one of his button down shirts and a pair of boxers. They slid into bed, lying on their sides facing each other, and after a long moment, Meredith whispered, "When I was five, my dad left. He told me he was going on a vacation and he would see me soon. He promised he would come and get me, and then we could go away together. I used to pretend that I was the princess forced to stay with the evil stepmother, and she would be rescued. But one day…I realized he wasn't coming back. And my mom picked us up and moved us to Boston. She left all my stuffed animals and fairy tale books here, saying that it was all nonsense, and she didn't want her daughter to be raised on lies. So I was left alone day after day, night after night. And my dad…he never even looked for me or tried to contact me."

"Oh, Mer," Derek whispered, squeezing her hand tightly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

Meredith smiled softly. "I wish that was the worst part," she said softly. "Before we moved to Boston my mom…she tried to kill herself right in front of me. And the blood was all over the place. I was so scared, but I had to wait until she passed out until I could call 911. Every time I tried, she stopped me."

"Meredith," Derek breathed, moving closer to her, as if holding her close would prevent her from ever remembering that horrible night.

"She never talked about it again," Meredith murmured. "But I always remembered it. And I never talked to her unless I was answering her questions because I was so scared that she would just kill herself and leave me completely alone in the world. Even though she was never there and I was pretty much alone growing up…if she killed herself, everyone I had ever loved would have left me by choice. And I couldn't bear that thought."

"And then I left you," Derek sighed softly. "Meredith…I will never forgive myself for that. It was the worst mistake of my life, and if I could take it back I would do it in a second. Less than a second."

Meredith shook her head. "I've forgiven you, Derek," she said softly. "You need to forgive yourself. And now I know that you won't leave me again. That's all I want."

"God, you're amazing," Derek whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I can't believe you've forgiven me, but I'm so glad you have. I can't imagine what my life would be like right now if I didn't have you with me."

"Why?" Meredith whispered, almost inaudibly. "I just want to know why you chose Addison instead of me. You seemed so miserable the entire time you were with her, and everyone thought we were having an affair. I just need to know why you couldn't just leave her instead of me."

Derek inhaled sharply, suddenly wishing that he knew himself why he'd felt the need to leave the love of his life. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply, tightening his arms around her. He needed to hold her tightly, feeling that if he made the mistake of physically letting her go, she would disappear from his life forever. "I really don't know, Mer," he whispered. "Looking back…I should have known. I was so sure when she showed up that I would just be able to sign the papers and send her home, and we could just continue. I wasn't lying when I told you that was what I thought would happen. But she convinced me that maybe she had changed, that maybe we could work together in Seattle when we didn't work in New York. And I felt so strongly for you already, but she had me second guessing it. I never believed in whirlwind romances, and when I thought about it rationally…it didn't make sense that I had fallen in love with a woman who was seven years younger than me in two months."

Meredith winced and pulled out of his arms slightly. "It didn't make sense?" she asked.

"Mer, I didn't mean it like that," Derek corrected himself quickly, reaching out to her. "I love you, Mer, you know that."

"But it doesn't make sense that you love me."

"It doesn't have to make sense," Derek said softly, his eyes pleading with her to understand. "I know that sounds bad, Mer, but that's not how I meant it. Because I've always known that I love you, even then I knew that. But then I thought that I had to do what made sense to my head instead of what I wanted to do in my heart. And now I will never let my head take over my heart again. Because my heart will always lead me to you, and that's the only place I want to me."

Meredith stared at him for a moment before she broke into a small smile. "That was probably the corniest thing I've ever heard," she said as she moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest.

Derek gratefully wrapped his arms around her again. "You love it," he said. "And it got you back in my arms."

Meredith smiled slightly, but he could tell that there was still something bothering her. "What's wrong, Mer?" he whispered.

"Nothing," Meredith whispered. "Or…something."

"You can tell me," he said softly.

Meredith raised her head to look at him, her lower lip caught between her teeth. "I trust you, Derek," she said finally. "I really do. But there's still a small part of me that wonders if your head will take over again."

Derek felt her words stab at his heart. It killed him that he had hurt her so badly that she couldn't help wondering when he was going to hurt her again.

"Meredith," he said firmly, framing her face with his hands. "I love you. More than I've ever loved anyone. And I hate the fact that I hurt you and left you alone. But I promise you that I will never ever hurt you that way again. And I will do anything…_anything_…to make you understand that."

A small smile played across Meredith's lips. "Anything?" she asked.

"Anything," Derek replied honestly.

"So you would…go skydiving?" Meredith teased, remembering his terror when they had taken off.

Derek swallowed hard, unsure of how serious she was. "I'd do it, Mer," he said sincerely. "But I'm not sure if you'd want me to do that since you might end up a widow."

She giggled as she wrapped herself around him. "I'm kidding, Der," she replied. "Thank you, Derek. For making this clear, for helping me to understand what goes through that brainless head of yours sometimes."

"Did you just call me brainless?" Derek asked, his eyes wide. "I'm the best neurosurgeon in this country. I'm hardly brainless."

"I think you are," Meredith giggled as she squirmed in his grasp, trying to get away from his tickling fingers. "You're a brainless brain surgeon."

"You're so going to pay for that," Derek laughed, rolling over on top of her to tickle her ferociously. She giggled as she squirmed underneath him, happy that after everything they had gone through that evening they could still be themselves.


	21. Chapter 21

Meredith walked quickly down the hall to Derek's office, needing to be surrounded by his things and the environment that was purely him. She had just lost the patient she had been working with Burke on, and that was just the icing on the cake for what had been a very stressful week

For the most part, the past three months had been wonderful. She and Derek lived together now, spending late nights and early mornings near the hospital at her house and days off at the trailer. Their house plans had been drawn up, and the cement for their foundation was probably being poured at the very moment she stepped off the elevator. Her intern exam was on the horizon, and as soon as she was declared an official resident, they were going to set a date. Life was good.

But this week was crap.

Her mother had been admitted with a stroke and heart problems, her memory perfectly fine. She had yelled at her, yelled at Derek, and thought she was still in love with the chief, causing even more tension between Derek and his former mentor. Christina had been acting weird all week, and Meredith was starting to worry that she wouldn't even pass her intern exam, making her life even more stressful than it already was.

As she approached Derek's office she heard him yelling, and closed her eyes, wishing that he could have at least been in a good mood so he could have comforted her and made her feel better. Instead, she leaned against the wall next to his door and listened to his conversation.

"You have no right to tell me how to live my life and what to do to comfort my fiancé!" Derek shouted.

"I do when your fiancé is my intern!" the chief replied firmly. "If I had known this would have happened when I called you out here I never would have done it."

"This isn't about me," Derek said coolly. "And this isn't about Meredith. This is about Ellis, and the affair you're too cowardly to admit to."

"That is none of your business," Richard snapped.

"It sure as hell is," Derek replied. "Because it involves Meredith. You think that because you had a dirty, secret affair with Ellis Grey twenty five years ago, you can act like Meredith's father. And that is the biggest load of bullshit that I have ever heard. Meredith is strong. She's wonderful, and amazing and strong. She doesn't need you protecting her, especially from me."

"She's an intern, Derek."

"I know she is," Derek replied. "And normally, the chief of surgery couldn't care less about the personal lives of his interns. It's not good for Meredith to constantly have to worry about whether she's going to disappoint you. You are not her father."

"Stop it!" Meredith cried, running into the room. "Stop screaming about me like I'm a child. I know everything that's wrong with my life, and I don't need the two of you arguing about it." She turned to face Richard and said, "Derek's right. You are not my father. You're my boss, and with all do respect, I don't think it's fair that you treat me differently than you did the other interns, no matter who my mother is. And you," she whirled around to face Derek, who immediately wiped the smirk off his face. "You need to realize when to be my boss and when to be my fiancé. You can't be both all the time." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to visit my mother. And then I'm going home." She turned to walk out the door and Richard stared at Derek for a moment.

"Take care of her," he ordered before he stormed out of the office.

Derek sighed as he collapsed into his chair, wondering how the hell his life had gotten this complicated. He didn't know why he was letting Richard and Ellis get to him so much. He and Meredith loved each other, and that was all that mattered. But Ellis's disapproval of Meredith's romantic life had sparked Richard's mysterious protective streak of Meredith, which had sparked Derek's own overprotective nature, which had made Meredith mad. And now his life was a mess.

He looked down at his watch and sighed. Three forty five. In a little over an hour, he and Meredith were supposed to be at the house to meet with their contractor and talk about putting the base for the first floor down. If Meredith was mad at him, he would have to go alone, which was something he didn't want to do. When they were putting down the layout of their home, he wanted to be able to hold Meredith's hand and have her there with him.

He changed into street clothes and hesitantly made his way to Ellis Grey's room, praying that Meredith was still there. The last thing he wanted was to have another one on one run in with his future mother in law without Meredith's calming presence to ground him.

"Alright, I have to go now, Mom," he heard Meredith say as he approached the room.

"Get back to work, that's the daughter I raised."

"Actually….I have an appointment with my contractor."

"What do you need a contractor for? Is something wrong with the house?"

"No, nothing's wrong with the house," Meredith replied. "I'm…building a new house. With Derek. Across the river."

He could practically hear Meredith cringing as she waited for her mother to answer. "Across the river? With that idiotic brain man? Meredith, what is wrong with you?"

"He's not an idiot," Meredith said. "I mean, he acts like it sometimes, because he's Derek, but…he's a really good man. And I love him, Mom. He has this amazing land, and our foundation is finished. We're watching them start the base for the first floor layout this afternoon. And we're leaving enough room for kids. You're going to have grandkids, isn't that exciting?"

"Don't condescend me, Meredith," Ellis snapped. "And don't let me keep you from your precious fiancé. But don't come crying to me when he leaves you and you have to raise those brats you're so excited about by yourself an hour away from civilization."

Derek felt his own heart pierced by Ellis's harsh words, and he couldn't imagine how hurt Meredith was. He knew he was going to have to do major damage control tonight, if Meredith would even let him in.

A moment later, she stepped out of the room, relief filling her eyes as she saw him leaning against the wall. She walked quickly into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Don't leave," she whispered. "Please, Derek, don't leave me."

Derek held her tightly for a moment, as if by holding her tightly enough, he would be able to transmit his desire to stay with her forever into her mind. "Listen to me, Meredith," he said. "You are the love of my life. I will never ever leave you. I will give up anything I have to for you, and I will follow you anywhere. You will never get rid of me."

Meredith pulled back to look at him, tears staining her cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered. She pulled on his hand and said, "Let's go. We have a house to evaluate."

Derek wrapped an arm around her as they walked out of the hospital. "I'm sorry I keep having doubts," Meredith said softly as he pulled the car into drive. "Just with my mom, I'm having some doubts about myself. Nothing is about you. I love you so much, and I'm afraid that you will wake up one day and realize that I'm not as special as you think I am."

"Mer, you never have to be sorry for being honest with me," Derek replied. "I hate that you don't have any confidence in yourself, but I want to know when you're upset. And I will never ever stop thinking you're special."

"How did I get so lucky?" Meredith asked.

"When I find out how I got so lucky, I'll let you know," Derek replied with a smile.

"What do you think the house looks like?" Meredith asked as they walked onto the dock of the ferryboat.

Derek laughed as he wrapped an arm around her. "I'm pretty sure it will look the same way it did this morning, except with wooden beams across it."

"Shut up," Meredith replied, leaning into him. "I'm excited, I'm allowed to hope that they got further than they planned."

"I think that's a dream that will never happen," Derek laughed. "Contractors are notoriously behind in their work."

"Maybe you should pay them more," Meredith suggested.

"We're paying them plenty," Derek muttered. "And for what we are paying them, they should damn well be on time."

Meredith turned in his arms and ran her hands over his chest. "Well, maybe on our day off you can go out there and show them a thing or two," she whispered huskily.

"You'd like that?" Derek asked.

"Mmmhmm," Meredith mumbled. "Just picturing you all shirtless and sweaty, lifting those boards and pounding those nails…very nice picture."

"Well, I might consider that," Derek said. "If you'll do something in exchange."

"I'll consider it," Meredith replied. "What do you have in mind?"

"I've always wanted to skinny dip in the lake," Derek replied. "We could do it while they're working on the house…have the thrill of getting caught."

Meredith smiled softly as she pulled away from him to lean against the railing. "That sounds nice, Derek," she said, looking down at her gloved hands.

"But…" Derek prompted, resting a gentle hand on her back.

"But…I can't swim," Meredith said softly.

Derek frowned. "You can't swim?" he asked.

"You've seen my mother lucid," Meredith said. "You think she ever cared about her daughter learning to swim or playing T-ball? I was the only kid who had to write a paper during the water aerobics unit in gym class."

"Oh, Mer," Derek pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'm sorry. I never would have said that if I'd known…"

"It's okay," Meredith shook her head. "I'm really only upset because we can't do it. It sounds like fun."

Derek smirked. "I could always teach you to swim."

"I'd like that," Meredith said. "Come on."

They walked back to the car, and twenty minutes later they pulled up beside the contracting van sitting beside what would eventually be their house.

"Dr. Shepherd, Dr. Grey," Dan said as they got out of the car. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Of course," Derek said, lacing his fingers through Meredith's. "Where are we?"

"Well, the rain held off so we actually got a little bit ahead today," Dan replied, gesturing to the house. "The base is done, and tomorrow we can get started with the outside walls, and hopefully the interior ones as well. Everything is coming along very well."

"Do you know when you'll be done?" Meredith asked excitedly."

"The actual house will be completed in two to four months, dependant on weather," Dan replied. "After that it depends on interior decorators and such, but I'd say that you have a good chance of being in by Christmas."

"Oh," Meredith breathed, her grip on Derek's hand tightening. "A real Christmas."

Derek smiled. "We'll have a real Christmas, Mer," he promised.

"Do you have any more questions?" Dan asked.

Derek looked at Meredith for a moment, and they both shook their head. "No, I don't think so," he said. "Thanks so much for your help."

"Of course," Dan said, shaking both of their hands. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Dan," Meredith said softly.

As he drove away, Derek tugged on Meredith's hand and pulled her towards the house. "Derek," she giggled. "What are you doing?"

"We're exploring our house," Derek replied. "They marked the rooms. Look, this is the office," he said. "And this is the kid's play room. Here's the kitchen. And this…is the living room," he said, pulling her over to the far left corner. "Which means that our bedroom is up there," he said, looking into the stars.

"Mmm" Meredith replied, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for being patient with me," Meredith whispered. "I just…my mom is hard to deal with."

"I know," Derek replied. "But you don't have to deal with things on your own anymore. It's us. Together."

**Thanks for the reviews. You guys are awesome! The ferryboat is coming up next...keep reviewing!**


	22. Chapter 22

**If I owned Grey's it would be on everyday. Thankfully, even though I don't, it's on tonight :)**

Meredith sighed as she walked out of the bathroom at her house the next morning. She had to be in early the next morning for triage, and after they had spent some time at their house they had driven back to the city to spend the night at her house. As she dropped her towel to search her room for clothes, she heard Derek moan appreciatively from the bed.

"Don't even think about it," she snapped as she snatched the towel up from the floor. "I'm late, tired, I have no clothes to wear, and I just got my period. The last thing in the world you are getting right now is sex, Derek Shepherd."

Derek tried to bite back his smile as he watched her grab a sweater and some jeans. He had been ready for awhile, and she was so adorable when she was crabby. Until she started looking at him like…that. He swallowed hard as he approached her and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "How about I meet you at work?" he suggested.

Meredith glared at him. "I think that's a good idea," she said. "I'll see you there."

Derek shook his head as he walked out of her room, surprised when he was nearly run over by Christina.

"Move it McDreamy," she demanded as she pushed her way inside. "Mer!" she cried.

"Christina," Meredith frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"When did you know?"

"Know what?" Meredith asked as she threw some of Derek's medical journals into her bag.

"That you were ready to get married," Christina replied.

Meredith froze, her hand suspended in mid air as she reached for a textbook. Slowly, she turned to look at Christina and asked, "Are you and Burke getting married?"

"No," Christina replied immediately. "I mean yes. I don't know." She took a deep breath and explained, "He asked me. And I don't know how to know if I want to get married."

Meredith fell onto the bed and smiled softly at the picture of her and Derek that sat beside her alarm clock. "I just…know," she said. "Because suddenly, being Meredith Grey, Derek's girlfriend wasn't enough. I don't want to be Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey. I want to be Derek and Meredith Shepherd. A team that can handle anything together."

Christina nodded. "And that doesn't scare you?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Sometimes it does," Meredith admitted. "But when I get scared, Derek tells me that I have to remember what makes me happy. And that's Derek. And our house. I used to run all the time when I got scared. But by running, I was always alone. I'm going to marry Derek, and I'm never going to be alone again."

Christina stared at her best friend. "Wow," she said. "You really, truly love him."

Meredith smiled softly, now regretting snapping at him and making him drive into work alone. "Yeah," she said. "He's…everything."

Izzie appeared in the door and said, "I hate to break up your bonding time, but we can't be late today. We have triage."

Meredith and Christina stood and walked with Izzie to the car. As Izzie got into the driver's seat, Meredith settled herself in the back and pulled out her phone, needing to talk to Derek.

XXXXX

_Sorry I was a bitch this morning. I really do love you. Mer_

Derek smiled softly as he told Meredith he loved her too and slipped his phone back into his lab coat pocket. "Meredith was in a mood this morning," he explained to Burke as they stood at the nurse's station. "She thinks she's so tough. It's adorable, really."

Burke stared at his colleague for a moment before he said, "I asked Christina to marry me."

Derek froze for a moment before he smiled, offering Burke his hand. "Congratulations."

"She hasn't said yes yet," Burke replied with a sigh. "People like Christina…they need time to process these things."

Derek shook his head. "Mer said yes right away," he said. "But even though she said yes… there are times when I have to remind her it's okay to be scared. Our girlfriends…they have some serious abandonment issues."

"Shepherd!" the chief called from down the hall. "Get ready to get on the ambulance going to the ferry boat dock. There was a crash, they need all the help they can get."

Derek felt his blood run cold. "Ferryboat?" he asked. "Right, sir. Um, do you mind me asking if you've seen Dr. Grey this morning?"

Richard rolled his eyes, not having the time to get into an argument with Derek about what was best for Meredith. "All of Dr. Bailey's interns, besides Dr. Yang, are on their way to the scene," he said. "Is there anything else I can do for you, or are you ready to do your job?"

"Sorry, sir," Derek replied as he turned to hurry down the hall.

Meredith was at the scene. She hadn't needed to ride in on the ferryboat this morning, which eased his mind from knowing that she was hurt.

But much as she had felt the morning she had held a bomb in her hands, Derek had a feeling. Something was going to happen.

And this time, they may not be so lucky.

XXXXXX

Meredith hurried through the crowds of panicking people and rushed EMTs, trying to find someone to help her with the little girl who had become attached to her hip. She felt a surge of energy when she saw Derek hurrying off of an ambulance that had just pulled up, and she rushed over to him.

"Derek!" she cried, automatically helping him as he began to treat a head wound. They worked completely in sync, not having to speak to understand what each needed the other to do.

"Mer," he said in relief. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Meredith replied. "I've never seen anything like this, I'm not sure what to do."

Derek looked at her for a moment. "You're sure about this?" he asked.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"Getting married," Derek replied as he helped to put their patient into the ambulance.

"Of course I'm sure," Meredith replied as they moved to the next patient. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Derek replied with a smile. "I'm just checking."

"Fine," Meredith said. "I have to go."

Derek glanced up to watch her for a moment before he returned his attention to his patient. He worked diligently for awhile, trying to clear patients to go home or get them to a hospital, but when he stopped to evaluate the scene an hour later, he wasn't sure it looked any better. He grabbed a bottle of water and stretched his sore arms, searching the area for Meredith. He smiled as he laid eyes on her as she worked on a patient next to the docks, the silent blonde girl in braids staring at her. He started to make his way over to her, but froze as he saw his worst nightmare take place before his eyes.

The patient's leg began to seize, knocking his fiancé off the dock and into the churning water below. He felt a sense of fear and panic rush through him before he broke into a sprint towards the water, pushing through the bustling crowd and dropping his water bottle and jacket as he went. He reached the edge of the dock and glanced into the water for a split second before his blood ran cold. Meredith was nowhere to be seen, and he didn't waste any time as he dove into the water, ignoring the burn of salt water in his eyes and the way his lungs screamed for oxygen as he searched the murky water for any sign of Meredith.

When he finally saw a flash of her honey blond hair floating in the water, Derek pushed himself further under the water and grabbed desperately for anything that would allow him to pull her to safety. He finally grabbed a hold of an arm, and yanked her close to him, kicking them both to the surface. Panic filled his body as he lifted her onto the dock, quickly pulling himself out of the water and kneeling over her. She was cold, her skin was freezing, and it was almost hard to differentiate her skin from her scrubs. He felt for a pulse, his own heart nearly stopping when he felt none. Without thinking, he began pounding on her chest, lowering his mouth to hers as he began to breathe for her. As he pounded on her chest, he looked around and shouted for help, ordering that a gurney and an ambulance be brought over. When he finally returned to look at his unconscious girlfriend, he felt a flash of fear run through him.

Unable to take the helpless feeling any longer, Derek took a deep breath before he pounded hard on her chest, praying with everything he had in him that his power would be able to make her heart begin to beat again.

After one long, painful moment without response, Derek leaned forward to give her CPR again before Meredith suddenly came to life, spitting up more water than he thought possible before she turned to look at him through hazy eyes. "Der?" she whimpered.

Relief surged through Derek's body as he allowed himself to pull her gently into his arms, not wanting to disturb any other injuries that may have been caused by the accident. "It's okay," he whispered. "Where does it hurt? Is your head okay? Does it hurt to breathe? Is anything broken?"

"Cold," Meredith whispered almost inaudibly, sinking against him.

Derek immediately reached with one arm for both of their coats which rested on the dock beside them. With a foggy mind, he realized that her patient had been taken away by someone at some point. Why the hell wasn't anyone coming to bring them to an ambulance. "You're okay, I've got you," he said softly.

"Der," Meredith clutched his shirt tightly, as if afraid that he was going to leave. "Don't leave me."

"I won't leave you, Mer, I promise," Derek replied. "I'm going to pick you up. Tell me if anything hurts, even at all, okay?"

Meredith nodded meekly as Derek gathered her into his arms and strode confidently towards the ambulances. "I need an ambulance," he ordered.

The closest EMT looked at him for a moment before he said, "Your patient is awake and aware, no injuries. You can wait for an ambulance. There are blankets and coffee and water over there if you need to warm her up. I'm sorry, but we have to help the trauma patients first."

Derek stared at the man for a moment before he said, "Listen, I'm the head of neurosurgery at Seattle Grace. And this is one of our most promising interns. I'm sure if the chief of surgery found out that you refused an ambulance to his favorite intern, he wouldn't hesitate to take away any certifications that you might need to drive this ambulance." He knew it was unethical to threaten something like this, especially when he knew it had no merit. But this kid didn't know that. And he would do just about anything to get Meredith better.

The EMT looked at them for a moment, noticing Meredith's still greenish skin and nodded. "Fine," he said as he helped them in. "I'll make it fast."

Derek said another prayer of Thanksgiving as he settled Meredith in the ambulance, piling blankets on her and drying her off, ignoring his own clammy skin and the way his scrubs clung to him like a second skin. "Do you need anything, Mer?" he asked.

"Just you," she whispered, her eyes fighting to stay open.

"Stay with me, Mer," Derek said, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "Don't fall asleep, okay? We're almost there, just stay with me until then."

Meredith swallowed hard and looked at him expectantly before her eyes began to close again. Derek wracked his brain, trying to figure out a way to keep her awake.

"The last time I was in an ambulance was when I had my motorcycle accident," he rambled. "I was nineteen, and I had just got a new jacket, and I wanted to try it out on the bike, even though I knew it was going to rain. I wrapped myself around a tree. And I remember my mom telling me how stupid I was because I wasn't wearing a helmet and I was depressed for a month because I couldn't ride anymore."

Meredith let out a soft breathe, and he was sure that if she had been healthy, it would have been a giggle. He searched his brain for more embarrassing stories about himself, but he couldn't focus on anything besides the possible injuries Meredith could have from her near drowning experience. He felt a surge of relief run through him as the ambulance slowed down and came to a smooth stop. The doors opened a moment later and he heard Bailey's familiar voice demand, "alright, what do we have?"

"It's Meredith," he said simply, causing Bailey's head to snap to attention, her eyes wide and disbelieving as Christina pushed forward to stare into the ambulance.

"What the hell happened?" Christina asked as Bailey and Derek lifted Meredith's stretcher out of the ambulance.

"She drowned."


	23. Chapter 23

**Tonight's episode was good...but if I owned it, there would have been a lot more MerDer scenes**

"Derek, what the hell is going on?" he heard the familiar voice of his ex-wife come from behind him as he paced the waiting area beside the stairs. There were no available chairs as worried family members of those hurt in the crash waited for news of their family members. It felt ironic to Derek, that he was here, in the place where he felt most comfortable, most confident, and he had no control over the situation. As soon as Meredith had been admitted as a patient, she had been taken to an exam room, and Derek had been kicked out. He'd fought as hard as he could, but after the chief had threatened to call security, Derek had reluctantly allowed Mark and Alex to pull him away from his fiance's bedside. He'd killed about ten minutes by changing into his street clothes, and now all he could do was wait until he could see her.

"Addie," he gasped gently. "I…I don't know what to do."

Addison reached his side and looked around the crowded waiting room for a moment before she pulled on his arm gently and said, "Come on, let's go."

Derek didn't register is surroundings as Addison guided him gently through the hallways, and he blinked in surprise when she opened the door to her office and gestured him inside, wondering when he had gotten there. "She can't swim," he whispered as he sank onto her couch. Now alone in the sanctuary of Addison's office, he could allow himself to be vulnerable. "She got knocked into the water, and I watched as she tried so hard to stay above water. I had to jump in and save her. And when I found her…her skin was so cold and clammy. I couldn't do anything. I just had to look at her as she lay there, lifeless in front of me."

"Where is she now?" Addison asked gently. She'd heard through the gossip mill that Meredith Grey had been brought in half dead in an ambulance, and she immediately had gone to find Derek, knowing that he would need the support of someone who knew him well to get through this. She hadn't stuck around to hear any details before she had rushed to check every waiting room.

"ICU," Derek whispered. "Mark…he sat with me for an hour and a half before he was called in to surgery. And I…she slipped into a coma as soon as she got here, and I have no idea if she's even still alive."

"She's alive," Addison whispered. "Derek, you have this insane sense of radar when it comes to Meredith. You'd know if she was dead."

Derek shook his head, tears beginning to stream down his face. "What will I do if she dies?" he asked. "I can't…we're finally happy, we're getting married. I just…I can't even sleep without her when she's on call, how the hell am I supposed to live everyday without her?"

"Derek," Addison said firmly, taking his face in his hands so he would look at her. "Listen to me. You have to believe that she is going to survive. She was awake and conscious of what happened, which is good. I know you're scared. But you have to think like a doctor."

Tears streamed down his face as he shook his head. "I can't," he replied. "I can't do anything."

"Derek, you saved her," Addison whispered. "Imagine what would have happened if you hadn't been there to pull her out."

"But there's nothing I can do now," Derek replied, sobs wracking his body. "Richard had me forced out of the room. All she wanted was for me to hold her hand and he made me leave. And now she's in a coma."

Addison inhaled sharply, looking at the ceiling as she tried to figure out how to comfort him. After a long moment, she reached into the top drawer of her desk and grabbed the object from the very back that she never used, but somehow felt safer having around, pressing it tightly into Derek's hand and closing his fingers around it. "Derek, maybe you need this," she whispered when he looked up at her in doubt.

Derek thought for a moment before he gently opened his fist, fingering the rosary beads in wonderment. He had long ago given up his Catholic upbringing, the moment he realized his dad was dead after hours spent praying with his sisters and Mark on the floor of the hospital waiting room. Now, though, he wasn't sure that praying could hurt; at least he could feel like he was doing something to help save Meredith. Slowly he slid to his knees in front of the couch and clutched the cross in his hands.

"Our Father, who art in heaven…."

Addison watched curiously as Derek recited the prayer, then began saying Hail Mary. For as long as she had known him, he had never even been remotely religious; he had attended church with his family on Christmas Eve, but his mother usually had to bribe him to go even on Easter. Now, she watched as he clutched her rosary tightly in his hands, praying for his beloved fiancé as she lay unconscious somewhere in the hospital. She sank to her knees beside him and rested a hand on top of his and began to pray with him. Meredith needed any prayers that anyone could offer her, and it was the least Addison could do after putting the two of them through hell and back to be together. They knelt together until the sound of Addison's pager interrupted their gentle murmurs.

XXXXX

Christina paced the floor of Meredith's room, wringing her hands together as she monitored the machines making sure her best friend was alive. She still couldn't grasp what had happened, and as she waited for Bailey to return with Meredith's test results she tried to imagine what would happen in her life without Meredith. For the past year, she and Meredith had depended on each other for everything, and she wasn't sure she could keep going without her best friend.

She heard the sound of heels hurrying into the room, and looked up to see Derek's ex-wife breathlessly rush into the room and reach for the chart. "What's going on, Dr. Yang?" she asked.

"She's…in a coma," Christina replied, wondering why that question even needed to be asked.

"Why was I paged?"

Christina frowned for a moment before realization finally came over her features. "No," she whispered. "She's…"

"Dr. Yang," Bailey said from the doorway. "Dr. Montgomery and I have this from here. As of this moment, you are not a doctor, you are the friend of a patient. Go to the waiting room until we come and get you."

Christina stared at the two of them for a moment before she turned and walked out of the room, sinking to the floor and burying her face in her hands. Even she wasn't strong enough to deal with this.

XXXX

"What is it, Miranda?" Addison asked, knowing that something was wrong.

"She lost a lot of oxygen," Bailey said softly, looking down at her pale, comatose intern. "The pregnancy test came up positive, but my feeling is that there was too much oxygen deprivation for the fetus to survive."

"And you want me to make the call," Addison sighed, closing the chart as she moved towards Meredith. "Does she know?"

"I don't know," Bailey replied. "I can page Derek."

"Don't," Addison said quickly. "He doesn't know. And before he finds out…we need to know whether it's good or bad news."

"I called for the portable sonogram machine," Bailey said, snapping on a pair of gloves as the nurse rolled the machine into the room. "We can hear for a heartbeat."

The room was silent as the machine was hooked up and Addison ran the probe of Meredith's gel covered belly. She swallowed hard as she saw the image of Derek's baby appear on the screen. She and Bailey both held their breath for several moments as they waited for the soft whooshing to fill the room.

It never came.

After several minutes of trying, Addison flicked the switch to turn the machine off and yanked her gloves off, leaning back into her chair as she looked at the ceiling. "What do we do?" she asked softly. "Richard won't let Derek anywhere near here, and if I tell him…he's going to want to see her."

"We need to do a D & C," Bailey replied softly. "I can…I'll tell him while she's under. But before we do that, I want to have a talk with the chief."

Addison nodded. "Who's going to stay with her?" she asked, looking down at Meredith. Six months ago, she had wanted nothing more than to destroy the woman in front of her, but now she couldn't bear the thought of Meredith waking up from a coma by herself.

"I'll get a nurse in here," Bailey replied, obviously feeling the same way. "Let's go take this up with the chief."

Determined, Addison and Bailey walked together towards the chief's office, not willing to give up until Derek was allowed to be with Meredith. Neither knew why he wasn't allowing Derek the same privileges any family member would have, but no one would say no to the two of them in a tag team effort.

"Chief," Bailey said, barging into the door without bothering to knock. "We need to talk to you."

"Bailey," Richard said, looking up from his couch. "How's Meredith?"

"Why did you kick Derek out of her room?"

"She needs him there."

"He needs to be there."

"He deserves to be there."

"Any other patient's fiancé would be allowed in."

"You'd want to be there if it was your wife."

"He's alone. Derek doesn't deserve to be alone."

"Hold on," Richard replied loudly, interrupting the dual rant. "What's going on with Dr. Grey?"

Addison and Bailey shared a glance before Bailey said, "Sir, with all due respect, we are refusing to tell you anything about Dr. Grey until you allow Derek into her room."

Richard opened his mouth to argue, but Addison stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Richard, please," she said softly. "Derek…he needs to be with her. Family is allowed in ICU. It's not fair that you're not letting him be with his fiancé. Please, just put aside whatever personal issues you have, and let him do this."

There was a poignant silence in the room for a moment before Richard nodded. "Fine," he said. "But if he gets her upset at any point, he's out."

"Yes sir," Bailey said. "Thank you."

She and Addison walked out of the room, and Bailey said, "I'm going to talk to Derek. He needs to know before she goes into surgery."

"I'll go with you," Addison murmured. Silently, they walked to Mark's office, where Addison had deposited him into his best friend's care before responding to her page about Meredith. When they entered the room, Bailey couldn't help but roll her eyes when she saw the two men sitting on the couch, passing a bottle of scotch between the two of them. When Derek saw them, his eyes turned wide with a cross between hope and fear.

"Addie," he whispered. "Bailey. What is it?"

The two women shared a glance before Addison sat down next to Derek, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Derek," she said softly. "Meredith…as far as we can tell she's going to be okay. And we talked to the Chief, who said that you can be with her."

Derek shoved the bottle of scotch and into her hands and was halfway to the door without saying a word before Bailey stepped in front of him. "Derek, there's more," she said, causing him to take a step back from her, the fear rushing to his eyes again. "Meredith…she needs surgery."

Confusion took over Derek's face. "You said she's going to be fine," he said. "Is she awake? I need to see her. What surgery does she need? Did she hit her head? Because if she needs brain surgery I don't give two shits that I'm her fiancé, I'm the best, and I'm doing it."

"She needs me," Addison said as she stood. "Derek, she needs a D&C."

Derek felt the air leave his lungs in one fast exhale, and he reached out to stabilize himself on the filing cabinet beside him. "She's pregnant?" he whispered.

"I'm so sorry," Bailey said softly. "She lost too much oxygen to keep the baby alive. We don't even know if she knew."

"A baby," Derek breathed. "We were going to have a baby."

"Derek," Mark said, clapping his back. "I'm sorry, man."

"I need to see her," Derek said, moving out of the room. "I want a sonogram done."

"We already did one," Addison said. "There was no heartbeat."

"I don't care," Derek said. "I want to see it for myself."

"Fine," Bailey said. "But you can not get upset in her room. We need to get her to surgery soon."

Derek pushed past them towards the ICU, searching the rooms until he saw his fiancé lying alone in her bed, machines beeping gently to tell him she was still alive. "Why the hell is she alone?" he snapped.

"We had to talk to the chief," Bailey replied. "You have five minutes before we need to prep her."

Addison reached forward to the night table and hand Derek a small picture. "I thought you might want this," she said softly. "It's…your baby."

Derek stared down at the picture, tears streaming down his face as he moved to sit on the bed, taking Meredith's hand gently in his. "Hey Mer," he said softly. "I'm sorry I had to leave you. But I'm here now. I can't stay for long, but I needed to see you. Mer…God, I have no idea how to tell you about the baby. But please, just wake up. I just need to see your beautiful green eyes, to see that you're still here with me. We can get through this together, but I need you." He paused and took a deep breath as he saw Bailey in the doorway. He leaned down to press his lips against her cheek and whispered, "I love you, Mer. Please come back to me."


	24. Chapter 24

**Sadly, Grey's is not mine :(**

Meredith could feel pain. Slowly, she could start to hear people talking around her, and she struggled to open her eyes. Her entire body was filled with pain and her eyes felt heavier than she ever remembered them feeling. But when she heard Derek's voice telling her he loved her and he needed her to wake up as she felt a gentle kiss pressed against her hand, she knew she needed to wake up for his sake. She wanted to see him, so she slowly pulled her eyes open, Derek's fuzzy form appearing in front of her.

"Der," she whispered, moving her hand slightly to squeeze his. "Derek."

"Mer?" Derek's hopeful, tear filled face came closer to her, and she felt his lips against her cheek for a moment. "Can you hear me?"

Slowly, Meredith gained more enegery, and she opened her eyes fully as she saw Derek sitting on the edge of her bed. She studied him carefully for a moment, not liking what she was seeing.

Derek's normally happy eyes were replaced with fear and regret behind a thick layer of tears and rings of redness. His hair was messy and rumpled, and the clothes that he had put on when he'd left the house that morning were dirty and wrinkled. But his eyes… the eyes that normally looked at her with love and adoration were filled with pain, and that scared her.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Mer," he said softly. "What do you remember?"

"Water," Meredith whispered. "I…I was kicked in. And I tried, Derek, I tried to swim but I just kept sinking and all I could think about was how I was leaving you alone, but I didn't want to leave you and I was so scared. But I'm okay now, right? I'm awake, so everything's okay?"

Derek swallowed hard as he leaned forward to press his forhead against hers. "Mer," he said softly. "You're going to be fine. I'm here to take care of you. But you need to know…you had to have a D&C."

"A D&C?" Meredith whispered, barely audible. "A baby?"

"You were pregnant," Derek whispered, fresh tears streaming down his face. "But the oxygen deprivation when you were underwater was too much for the baby. Addison…she did an ultrasound and there was nothing anyone could have done."

"They're wrong," Meredith replied, shaking her head. "She's wrong, Derek. I got my period this morning, and I would have known if I was pregnant."

"Spotting's normal in the first semester," Derek said gently. "And there's no way that you could have known."

"I killed my baby," Meredith breathed, panic suddenly overcoming her. "Oh, God, Derek, I killed our baby."

"No," Derek said firmly, taking her face in his hands. "Meredith, you cannot let yourself think like this. You did nothing wrong. You didn't even know about that baby, there is no way in hell I'm letting you blame yourself for this."

"But…if I had known how to swim…" Meredith started, cut off when Derek pressed his hand against her lips.

"Listen to me, Meredith," he said. "I know you're in pain, physically and emotionally, and I'm hurting too. It's okay to be sad. But you need to listen to me. You not knowing how to swim is not your fault. It's not anyone's fault."

"It is my fault," Meredith insisted. "I should have been able to grab onto the dock or just not panicked and then I would be able to kick harder and get out of the water before I went under." She turned onto her side, her back facing away from Derek. "You don't even want me anymore," she sobbed. "I killed your baby, there's no way you still want me."

"Meredith, I can't let you do this," Derek whispered. "If you had known that you were pregnant, what would you have done differently yesterday?"

Meredith swallowed hard as she looked at him. "I would have… stayed at the hospital," she whispered. "Because I would have been afraid of something happening to our baby."

Derek offered her a small smile as he reached out to cup her cheek gently. "See?" he said softly. "Mer, you have all the maternal instincts you need. I can't let you think that you are responsible for this, and I definitely can't let you think that I don't want you anymore. I was terrified that I lost you today, and I couldn't bear that thought. I love you too much to think about what would happen if I lost you. Please, Mer, don't think that I don't love you because I will never ever stop loving you."

The room was silent for a moment before she whispered, "can you just hold me?"

"Of course," Derek whispered, shifting onto his side to lay with her in the small hospital bed. He wrapped an arm around her middle and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before spooning as close to her as possible, making sure to avoid the tender region of her lower stomach. For a long time, the two of them lay together in the dim light of her hospital room, quietly crying as they mourned the loss of the life they hadn't known they'd created.

XXXXXXXXX

Derek heard the low murmur of voices some time later, pulling him out of a deep sleep. Slowly, he disentangled himself slightly from Meredith and looked up to see Bailey and her interns standing over them. He frowned at them, knowing that they were probably doing rounds but wishing they could have skipped Meredith.

"Dr. Shepherd," Bailey said as she noticed Derek's now conscious state. "Does she know?"

"I know," Meredith's soft voice said as she shifted to sit up in bed. "And don't treat me like a patient. Talk to me like a doctor."

Bailey stared at her interns expectantly, and George finally stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Um, Mer, I'm sure that Derek has told you anything you need to know. And, if you want, you can be discharged before lunch."

Meredith swallowed hard. "How long?" she asked. "How long until I'm back to normal?"

Bailey sighed. "Physically, I'll give you three to four weeks. Mentally, there is no way to tell how long it will take."

"Can Derek and I be alone now?" Meredith asked. "I don't…I don't want to be treated like any other patient."

"Alright, let's get out of here," Bailey said, shooing her interns out the door.

When the door was closed, leaving them alone in the room, Derek turned to Meredith and asked, "How are you doing today?"

"A little better," Meredith replied. "I just…I felt so guilty yesterday. And then I moved past that but now I don't know what to feel. Because I'm disappointed that we lost the baby. But at the same time…I didn't even know about the baby. And it would have been so hard to have a baby when I'm getting ready for my intern exam and everything. I know this makes me sound crazy and probably like a huge bitch, and it's not that I'm happy that I miscarried, but…I just don't know how to feel."

"I understand," Derek said softly. "It's okay, Mer. I don't want to tell you how to feel. And it's hard to lose something you didn't even know you had."

"Does it make me a horrible person if I'm more upset about my engagement ring?" Meredith whispered.

"Hmm?" Derek asked, his eyes immediately going to her left hand, which was strangley bare.

Meredith held up her hand. "It fell off when I was in the water," she whispered. "I mean, I'm assuming that's what happened because Christina said she had the ambulance and the ICU searched, but it wasn't on my hand when I went into surgery."

Derek leaned forward to press a kiss against her outstretched fingers. "Mer, that doesn't matter," he whispered. "All I want is for you to be okay. I'll buy you another ring. Any ring in the world that you want."

Meredith sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I wish we could go back to Florida," she whispered. "Everything was so perfect there."

"Me too," Derek whispered, resting his head against hers. He was silent for a moment before he said, "I should call Mom."

"Why?" Meredith asked.

"Because her daughter in law nearly drowned," Derek replied softly. "She's going to want to come take care of you."

"She doesn't," Meredith started. "I mean, do we have to tell her?"

"No," Derek whispered, knowing that she was referring to the baby. "We don't have to tell anyone about that. But she'll want to know about the accident."

"Okay," Meredith whispered. She wasn't used to having a mother to take care of her when she was sick or hurt, but she couldn't help thinking that it would be wonderful to have Emma to talk to and take care of her as she recovered. "Can we…call her now?"

Derek nodded as he reached to the night table for his cell phone. "Sure," he said softly. "And then we can go home." Meredith nodded and rested her head against his shoulder as he dialed and held the phone up to his ear. "Hi, Mom," he said weakly.

"Derek," Emma said happily. "How are you? How's Meredith? I spoke with her last week and she told me the house is coming along very well."

"Yeah," Derek said. "Listen, Mom, I have to tell you something."

There was a long pause before his mother asked, "Should I book a plane ticket?"

Derek couldn't help but laugh slightly. "You always know when I need you," he replied. "And yes, that might be a good idea."

"What happened?" Emma demanded.

"Mer had an accident," Derek replied. "There was a ferryboat accident and we were treating patients on the scene. Mer was knocked into the water."

"That's all?" Emma asked. "Well, I'm sure it was cold and that's not ideal, but as long as you got her inside before she caught pneumonia, I'm sure…"

"She can't swim, Mom," Derek interrupted.

"Oh," Emma said softly. "Is she alright?"

"She will be," Derek replied.

"Are you with her?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Derek replied. "Would you like to see her?"

"If she's up to it."

"She is," Derek said, handing Meredith the phone.

"Hi, Em…Mom," Meredith said softly.

"Meredith, sweetheart, how are you?"

"I…I've been better."

"As soon as I'm done here, I'm going to book a ticket," Emma said. "I know Derek will take good care of you, but as he can attest to, there is nothing like a mother's care when you're sick."

"Thank you," Meredith replied. "I'll talk more when you're here. I…I can't wait to see you."

"Oh, darling, I can't wait to see you either," Emma said softly. "Now, you need to get some sleep, so I'll let you go. But I hope to be there tomorrow."

"Bye, Mom," Meredith whispered before hanging up and passing the phone to Derek. "Can you page Bailey?" she asked. "I want to go home."

Derek pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Sure, Mer," he whispered. "We'll go home, and I'll take care of you. You don't have to worry about anything. I've got you now."

**Okay, so you guys are awesome for reviewing. I know a lot of you have found this plot kind of unexpected, and truthfully, I wasn't planning on going in this direction, but I think it's a good way for Derek and Meredith to have something to deal with after the accident. Since Meredith didn't give up, I feel like this is a good way for them to deal with a sad situation that will ultimately bring them closer together (unlike on the show). So thanks for your reviews, and I hope you all still like this :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Thank you so much for your reviews! I hope you guys are all still enjoying this story. Let me know what you think :)**

Derek heard a car pull up outside the trailer and felt a sigh of relief come over him as he glanced over at the bed, where Meredith lay sound asleep. Since he'd brought her here the previous afternoon, she had spent most of the time sleeping at the time that she was awake clinging to him desperately. She'd slept through lunch, but he didn't have the heart to wake her, and he was relieved that Mark was here with his mother. He needed someone to talk to, he needed to be dependant on someone instead of staying strong so Meredith could have a rock. He stepped outside the trailer and smiled sadly as Emma opened the passenger door of Mark's car before the car was fully stopped and rushed to her son.

"Derek," she whispered, taking in his disheveled appearance. "How is she?"

"She's okay," Derek replied softly, allowing his mom to gather him in his arms and resting his head on her shoulder. "She's sleeping right now. That's all she really wants to do."

Emma closed her arms around her son, holding him in a way she hadn't in years, and was reminded of the way he had clung to her as a little boy when he had hurt himself running around with Mark. His hands fisted around her shirt, and she could feel moisture seeping through her blouse where his head rested on his shoulder. She held him tightly for a moment, blinking back tears of her own at seeing her son so torn apart. She glanced over Derek's shoulder to see Mark offer a quick wave before he got back into his car, knowing that Derek needed some time alone with his mother. "Darling, how about we sit down?" she asked softly.

Derek nodded as he pulled away, sniffling slightly as he wiped his eyes. "Do you mind if we stay out here?" he asked gently. "I know it's cold, but I can bring out a space heater, and Mer's inside. I don't want to wake her."

"It's fine," Emma said, sitting down on one of the lawn chairs. "Now, Derek, what exactly is going on?"

Derek shook his head. "I was watching her work on a patient," he said softly. "I don't get to just watch her be a doctor that often because I'm usually working with her, but she's an amazing doctor. So I was watching her, and all of a sudden, her patient's leg seized, and she got knocked into the water. I knew she couldn't swim, but I was too far away. I had to get through crowds of people to get to her, and there were stretchers and hurt people all over the place, but I just had to get to her. When I finally reached the place where she fell, she wasn't even at the surface anymore. So I had to pull her out. And when I finally found her under the water, her skin was…it was clammy and cold and so blue. It made me sick to my stomach, but I knew I had to save her. I gave her CPR and Mom, the bruises…I hurt her so much, there are bruises on her chest and every time I look at them I want to throw up. I love that woman more than anything in the world, but I caused those bruises on her chest. I'm never going to be able to forgive myself for that."

"Derek," Emma said firmly, leaning forward to rest a hand on his forearm. "I know yesterday was traumatic, and you're working through some very difficult emotions right now. I understand that. But you saved her life. You can't let yourself feel guilty for those bruises, because without them, she would be dead."

"I know that," Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Rationally, I know that. But I can't stand the thought that I left those awful bruises on her body."

"You can't let that consume you," Emma said. "I know you're trying to be strong for her, and that's good. But you also can't leave your own emotions to fester. You need to play out whatever you're feeling inside."

"I know," Derek whispered, wringing his hands together. He debated whether he should tell her about the baby. He could still remember Meredith asking him not to tell her, but Emma would understand better if she knew everything. "She lost…." The words froze on his lips, finding himself unable to go against her wishes, no matter how much he wanted to talk to his mom. "She lost her engagement ring."

Emma was silent as she looked at him for a moment. "In the water?" she finally asked. At Derek's nod, she asked, "have you bought her a new one?"

"Not yet," Derek whispered. "She wants a new one, but she refuses to let me leave her side. She panicks when I'm not there, but she can't go out. She can barely get out of bed."

Emma was silent for a moment as she twisted her own rings around her finger for a moment. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she gently slid the engagement ring over the knuckle, taking it off for the first time in fifty three years. "Here," she whispered, reaching her outstretched hand to Derek, who stared at her in amazement.

"Mom," he breathed. "I…your engagement ring?"

Emma nodded as she closed Derek's fingers around the precious diamond. "She should have it," she whispered.

"But Dad gave it to you."

"He did," Emma replied, gentle tears coming to her eyes. "And I love that ring. But Meredith needs it. Your father would understand, Derek. He would love Meredith, and he would have known that she is the perfect woman for you."

"Are you sure?" Derek whispered, staring at the ring with new eyes.

"Yes," Emma said. "When your father proposed, he told me that this ring had been his grandmother's. It has the luck of the Irish, he said. He told me it would protect me. And now Meredith needs some Irish luck, so I want her to have it."

Derek smiled softly as he leaned forward to hug his mother softly, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Thank you," he whispered. "This means so much."

Emma hugged him back tightly. "You're welcome," she replied.

"The girls are going to be so jealous," Derek laughed softly as he recalled how every one of his sisters had begged their mother to let them have her engagement ring reset for their own rings.

"They all had perfectly wonderful rings," Emma replied. "And I think if your father would have met Meredith, he would have told you to bring that other ring back and give her this one."

Derek smiled softly, but before he could say anything he heard Meredith call for him from inside the trailer. "Come on in, Mom," he said. "I can close the divider for Mer so we don't freeze out here."

Emma smiled as she stood and stepped through the door Derek held open for her. "When you're both feeling better I want to hear all about this house of yours," she said as she pushed him forward gently. "Go take care of her dear. And don't worry about me, I have my book."

"You'll see the house," Derek assured her as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Thank you, Mom. For everything."

"You're welcome," Emma said as she settled on the couch. "I'll be here."

Derek took a deep breath before he stepped towards the bed, gently pulling the divider closed behind him before he went to sit down next to Meredith on the bed, facing her as he leaned in to kiss her. "Hey, Mer," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Meredith replied. "A little better than this morning."

"Good," Derek said with a smile. "I have good news."

"Hmm?" Meredith asked, lacing her fingers through his.

"Mom's here," Derek replied. "She said she can wait to see you."

Meredith nodded. "Did you tell her?" she whispered.

"I told her about the accident," Derek replied. "I didn't tell her about the baby."

"Okay," Meredith whispered.

"I have something for you," Derek whispered, bringing her left hand to his lips as he pressed a kiss to the back of it. "It seems that we have a problem with a certain finger of yours. Since I'm engaged to the most amazing woman in the world, she's going to need a ring to make sure that none of those men out there steal her from me."

"A ring?" Meredith breathed. "Oh, Derek," she breathed as he slid the ring onto her finger. "Where…it's beautiful."

"It's my mother's," Derek said softly. "She said she wants you to have it. My dad would have wanted you to have it."

Meredith swallowed hard as she leaned forward to kiss him. "Thank you," she whispered. "I felt…naked without my engagement ring."

"I know," Derek replied as he ran his hand over the cool metal. "I can't wait until I get my own ring."

Meredith looked at him for a moment before she said, "Derek, I don't want to wait."

"What?" Derek asked, eyeing her carefully. "What do you mean?"

"I don't want to wait until my intern year is over," Meredith replied. "I want to marry you yesterday."

"Mer," Derek said softly. "I get that you were scared and everything, and believe me, I want to marry you too. But we can wait to set a date for the wedding."

Meredith looked at him for a moment before she said, "Derek, I'm sure. When I was in that water, I was so terrified that I was going to die, and I would never have gotten to experience anything a normal person would. I want to be married to you, Derek. I want to call you my husband. If I could marry you right now, I would."

Derek smiled as he leaned in to cup her cheek in his hand. "Me, too, Mer," he said softly. "But we do need a little time. You need a dress, we need a place, we need our friends to have a little time…"

"May third," Meredith replied automatically. "It's a Saturday."

"May…Mer, it's the last day of March."

"So?" Meredith shrugged. "I don't want anything fancy, Derek. Just you, me, and our friends. We don't need fancy flowers or a band or anything. Unless that's what you want. Oh, God, I didn't even ask you what you want, which probably means I'm going to be the worst wife ever…"

"Mer," Derek stopped her, resting his forehead against hers for a moment. "You're going to be the most amazing wife ever. So let's do it."

Meredith stared at him for a moment. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah," Derek replied. "Let's get married in a month.


	26. Chapter 26

**Sadly, I still don't own Grey's. Enjoy :)**

"Hi, Mom," Meredith said softly as she made her way towards the couch.

"Meredith," Emma said with a smile as she put her book aside and stood to wrap Meredith in her arms. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," Meredith replied, leaning into Emma's motherly embrace. "I'll be better in a couple days."

"Well, there is no rush," Emma said firmly as she guided Meredith to sit down on the couch and wrapped a blanket around her. "Do you need anything? Any tea or soup?"

"No, I'm good," Meredith said as she twisted her ring around her finger. "I just…can we talk for a little while?"

"Of course," Emma replied, settling herself down on the couch opposite Meredith. "Anything you want, dear."

Derek suddenly appeared from the bed area, dressed in his fishing gear. "I thought I'd give you two some time for girl talk," he said. "Mer, are you okay if I go fishing for an hour or so?"

"Yeah," she nodded, trying not to beg him to stay. She knew she couldn't cling to him forever, but she desperately didn't want to be apart from him right now. She also knew that he wanted her to have some time alone with his mom, so she smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll be fine."

"Good," he replied, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you."

"Love you too." She watched as he grabbed his tackle box and pole and flashed them one more smile before he stepped outside, closing the door gently behind him.

"He's taking good care of me," Meredith said with a soft smile. "He took an extended leave of absence from work until I'm better."

"I'm glad," Emma replied. "He would have gotten a severe lecture from me if he had done otherwise."

Meredith looked down at her ring again before she whispered, "thank you for the ring."

Emma smiled softly as she looked down at Meredith's hand. "You're welcome, Meredith."

"If you decide that you want it back," Meredith rambled. "That's totally fine. Because I know it reminds you of Derek's dad, so it was probably hard to give away, so if you change your mind it's totally fine."

Emma smiled as she reached forward to take Meredith's hand, running her thumb along the ring. "I'm not going to change my mind," she replied. "It's your ring now. And it looks wonderful on you. As I told Derek, his father probably would have told him to bring the first ring back and give you this one instead, not caring whether I was ready to give it up."

Meredith giggled. "He was a lot like Derek, wasn't he?" she asked.

"He was," Emma agreed. "He was a good doctor, could have been the best if he'd wanted to. But instead he wanted to be the best father in the world, which I still believe he was."

Meredith played with the edge of her blanket for a moment before she asked, "you think Derek will be a good father, then?"

"I think he will be a remarkable father," Emma replied. "He's always wanted children. That's the major reason he and Addison grew apart."

Tears filled Meredith's eyes, and as hard as she tried to wipe them away, she couldn't help them spilling over her eyelids. "Meredith?" Emma asked softly, squeezing her hand. "What is it?"

"I didn't want to tell anyone," Meredith whispered. "But I need to tell you. I…when I fell into the water, I was pregnant. And we didn't even know. But there was too much oxygen deprivation, and the baby didn't make it."

"Oh, Meredith," Emma whispered, leaning forward to pull Meredith into her arms, shifting positions so that Meredith could lean against her as she sobbed. "It's okay, sweetheart."

"It's not okay," Meredith replied. "Because this is the one thing that Derek has wanted for so long, and I can't give it to him. I'm not…I didn't even know the baby existed, and I can get over that, I know I can. But I disappointed him."

Emma smiled softly as she rocked Meredith back and forth for several minutes, trying to calm the distraught woman. She knew that each of them were blaming themselves for the other's pain, and they needed to sit down, talk, and realize that the loss they wewre experiencing was no one's fault. However, they also had to come up with that conclusion on their own, all she could do was guide them in the right direction.

"Meredith, I'm going to tell you something that no one knows," she whispered gently. "Even my own children."

Meredith lifted her head to look at Emma curiously for a moment, not saying anything as she waited. "When Michael died…he was coming home from work, probably speeding because of me. That morning, I had told him I was expecting another baby."

Meredith blinked. "But Alexis is the youngest, and she's only ten years younger than…" her voice trailed off as she did the math and realized what Emma was telling her.

"None of the children knew," Emma continued. "And when I found out about the accident, I did everything I possibly could to protect that baby. It was all I had left of Michael, and I knew that I had to keep it safe. But as hard as I tried to eat well and get enough sleep, I couldn't. I threw up everything I ate, I didn't get a good night's sleep for a year and a half because I keep having nightmares about the accident. And I lost the baby. The last gift I could have given to my husband, I lost it. For a long time I felt that it was my fault, that I hadn't been a good enough mother to keep my baby alive. It took many months of counseling for me to realize that there was nothing I could have done. I did everything I could, but for whatever reason, God did not want me to have that baby."

"Oh," Meredith breathed, squeezing Emma's hand. "Emma, I'm so sorry."

Emma shook her head softly. "It was twenty years ago," she replied. "And my family more than makes up for losing that baby. But my point is, Meredith, that you can't blame yourself for this. Derek doesn't, and neither does anyone else, so you can't. If you do that, and if Derek keeps blaming himself, your relationship will not be able to survive. So you have to talk to him."

Meredith nodded. "I know," she replied. "We will." She paused for a moment before she said, "We decided we don't want to wait to get married."

Emma smiled widely. "That's wonderful dear," she said. "Do you have an idea of when?"

"Next month," Meredith replied, giggling at Emma's shocked expression. "I know it sounds bad, but we don't need a lot of fancy stuff. Just each other and our family, some simple flowers and some music. Depending on how I feel next week, I might just not go work until after the wedding."

"That's wonderful," Emma replied. "I may as well just stay until then so I can help you with anything you need."

"You're…what about New York?" Meredith asked.

"I haven't booked a return flight yet," Emma replied. "I wasn't planning on leaving until the two of you don't need me here anymore."

"I'm pretty sure Derek will never let you leave, then," Meredith giggled. "No offense, but he's kind of a mama's boy."

Emma laughed. "Well, you'll understand when you have a son of your own that that's not neccessairly a bad thing," she said.

The door to the trailer swung open and Derek walked in with a smile on his face. "Well, there's my favorite sound in the world," he said as Meredith's giggle reached his ears. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"I am," Meredith replied. "I have good news."

"Hmm?" Derek asked as he moved to stand beside her, running his fingers through her hair as she rested her head against his hip.

"Your mom's staying til after the wedding."

Derek's eyes lit up as he turned to look at Emma. "Really?" he asked.

"Of course," Emma replied. "Weddings are hard to plan, and your fiancé will need as much help as she can get. Mark set up his spare bedroom for me, and it will be good for you both to have an extra set of hands. Lord knows I've planned enough weddings."

"Thanks, Mom," Derek said happily. "That means a lot to us."

"It's my job," Emma replied. "Now, Derek, I think you and Meredith need to spend the evening together. If you'll let me borrow your car, I'll go settle in at Mark's apartment."

Derek bit his lower lip and Meredith giggled slightly. "Mom, you're asking a lot," she said. "I'm not even allowed to drive Derek's car."

Emma put her hands on her hips and said firmly, "Derek Shepherd, are you meaning to tell me that you're not going to let me drive your car when you nearly totaled the only car the family owned when you got your license?"

"You totaled a car?" Meredith asked through her laughter. "Mr. Perfect Driving record?"

"Shut up," Derek said as he held his keys out to Emma. "I didn't total it."

"He and Mark decided that joyriding in my station wagon would be a good idea," Emma explained to Meredith.

Derek rolled his eyes, knowing that he wouldn't win. At this point, though, he was so happy to hear Meredith laughing that he wasn't going to do anything to make it stop. "Okay, Mom, just don't spill anything," he said. "And wipe off your shoes before you get inside. And just…be careful."

"I know how to drive a car, Derek," Emma said teasingly. "I did teach you."

"I know, but…"

"But Derek loves his car more than anything," Meredith giggled. "Except maybe his fishing pole."

"You…What am I going to do with you?" Derek asked, moving towards her on the couch.

"You can't tickle me," Meredith said as she clutched her side. "I am a surgical patient."

Emma smiled as she watched her son wrap his fiancé in his arms, knowing beyond a doubt that the two of them would make it. They loved each other, and if they could still be the loving couple she'd always seen them be this soon after such a trauma, she knew nothing could tear them down. She slipped out the door of the trailer, leaving the two of them to talk.

Back in the trailer, Derek had taken Emma's vacated spot and wrapped an arm around Meredith as they sat facing each other, her legs crossed as she clutched the blanket around her shoulders.

"How are you feeling, Mer?" he asked gently.

"Better," she said. "I told Mom about the baby."

"I figured you would," Derek said. "She makes it better, doesn't she?"

"Mmmhmmm," Meredith agreed. "I'm glad she's staying to help me plan."

"Me too," Derek replied, rubbing her shoulder gently.

"How are _you?" _Meredith asked. "Derek, you've been so wonderful the past couple days, but you've gone through a lot too. I haven't even asked how you are."

Derek sighed as he leaned forehead against hers. "Honestly, Mer? I have no idea what the hell I'm feeling."

"You can talk to me," Meredith said gently. "I know I'm a mess right now, and you've been my rock, but I still want to be your rock. And I'm feeling a lot better. I'll always be sad that we lost this baby, but there's nothing that I could have done. And I didn't even know about it until it was gone."

"I know what you mean," Derek replied. "I…when I first found out I was so upset. Because something we had created was taken so suddenly. But now, I guess I know that the baby was taken because we're not ready to be parents. I know it's awful, but I guess some things happen for a reason. I'm tired, Mer. In the past two days I was terrified I lost you, relieved that you were alive, sad about the baby, worried how you would handle it, and excited that you want to get married so soon. That's a lot of emotions, especially since I don't let anyone see what I'm feeling."

"You can let me in," Meredith whispered.

Derek smiled softly as he looked at her. "That's what I'm doing now," he replied, leaning in to rest his head against her shoulder. They lay together silently for a few minutes, Meredith running her hand through his hair as he closed his eyes and reveled in the feeling of letting Meredith take care of him. After a few moments, Derek opened his eyes and lifted her shirt slightly to trace his fingers over the soft pink scar on her stomach. "Does it still hurt?" he murmured softly.

"A little," Meredith replied. "I'm just…sore, but it's okay. I have my world class neurosurgeon to take care of me if anything happens."

Derek smiled softly as he leaned down to brush his lips lightly over the scar. "I'm here, Mer," he murmured. "And I'm never leaving. I promise."


	27. Chapter 27

Meredith walked slowly through the front door of her house for the first time since her accident, wincing as she heard Izzie scattering around upstairs.

"Meredith Grey, is that you?" she yelled as she stormed down the stairs. "Dr. Sloan says you and Derek are getting married in three weeks. Three _weeks, _Meredith, not months. Tell me he's wrong. Because three months is short enough, but three weeks is impossible."

"It's not," Meredith replied, pushing past Izzie to walk into the kitchen. "We're making it work."

"What about a hall? The caterers? The photographer? The band? You need to book these things years in advance. Years, Meredith, not days," Izzie insisted. "And you don't have a dress."

"We don't need all that stuff," Meredith replied. "We're just having something simple. We're not fancy people."

"This is your wedding, Meredith," Izzie insisted, following Meredith out of the kitchen. "Your wedding, don't you want it to be special?"

"It will be special," Meredith replied as she started walking up the stairs. "I'm marrying Derek. That's all I need to make it special."

"But," Izzie started, interrupted when Derek walked through the front door, his phone pressed against his ear.

"Yes, Alexis, I do know that you're a busy doctor," he said as he smiled warmly at Meredith and rolled his eyes. "I'm also aware that your children are in school….It's what Mer wants, so it's what she's getting…I thought that would make you hate me less… I know I'm an idiot, Mer tells me that all the time…okay, I'll see you in a couple weeks." He hung up and slid his phone into his pocket as he walked directly to Meredith. "Mer, are you okay to handle stairs?" he asked as he placed a gentle hand on her back.

"I think so," she replied, leaning into him. "Why is Alexis calling you an idiot?"

"Because she just found out that we're keeping Mom for an entire month and she has to book a weekend off of wwork to come out for the wedding," Derek replied.

"See, this is what I'm saying," Izzie butted in. "People need time, Meredith. It's sweet that you want to get married so fast, it really is, but people need time, even if you don't."

Derek glanced at Meredith, who was looking at him with a pained expression. "Dr. Stevens," he said calmly. "No offense, but this is our wedding, not yours. If we want your opinion, we will ask for it, but until then, we're going to have the wedding we want."

Izzie opened her mouth to reply, but Derek had turned back to Meredith, gently supporting her as she walked up the stairs, effectively ending the conversation. When they reached the safe haven of their bedroom and had the door closed firmly behind them, Meredith fell onto the bed and looked at him for a moment before she asked, "Should we push the wedding back?"

Derek frowned as he slid onto the bed beside her. "Do you want to?" he asked as he ran a hand over her side.

"No," Meredith whispered, burying her face in his chest. "But your sisters and Izzie…"

"Don't worry about Izzie," Derek said firmly. "Or my sisters. They can take the time off work. And I know Izzie is apart of your family, but…you don't have to let her plan our wedding. That would be a disaster."

Meredith giggled. "I'd have to wear a big puffy dress with lots of lace," she replied. "And she'd make you wear tails."

"Exactly," Derek replied. "I had to wear those for my last wedding, and it was awful. And your dress…I want to be able to get you out of it fast. No hidden zippers or hundreds of buttons. Something simple."

"I'll keep that in mind," Meredith replied. "Your mom and I are going tomorrow."

Derek smiled as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," Meredith replied. "We picked out the invitations and flowers today. And I think…would your other sisters be mad if I asked Kathleen to be a bridesmaid? Cause I don't want it to seem like I'm playing favorites or anything but I'm pretty sure…yeah, she's my favorite."

Derek laughed. "I think she'd love that, Mer," he said. "And no, I don't think the others would care."

"Good," she replied. "Did you call the photographer?"

"Yep, it's all set," Derek replied. "Mark and I are going to get our tuxes fitted next week, so the only thing we have left to do is to get the rings."

"Okay," Meredith nodded. "We can do that this weekend?"

"Sure," Derek replied.

"Hmmm, I don't know why everyone thinks this is so complicated," Meredith murmured.

Derek smiled slightly as he pressed a kiss against her forehead. "Mer, you're adorable," he said. "And I love that you want a simple wedding. But it's not exactly the most complicated wedding to plan."

"I know," Meredith smiled. "And I love our wedding."

"Me too," Derek whispered, sliding down the headboard to gather her into his arms more comfortably. "You know what else I did today?" he whispered.

"What?" Meredith asked, looking into his eyes.

"Talked to the travel agency," Derek replied. "I booked our honeymoon tickets."

"Honeymoon," Meredith breathed. "I didn't even think of that." Her eyes lit up and she sat up, looking at him excitedly. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, that's for me to know and you to find out," Derek laughed.

"What?" Meredith asked. "I need to know where we're going!"

"You will find out," Derek replied. "It's part of the fun."

"Fun for you," Meredith said. "Come on, Derek, please."

"Hmm, you might be able to get some hints out of me," Derek grinned, pressing his lips against hers for a moment.

"Like if I do this?" Meredith asked, straddling his hips and pressing her lips against his more firmly as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

"Hmmm, the beach," Derek murmured, moving his lips to her neck.

"How about this?" Meredith asked, reaching between the two of them to stroke his erection through his jeans.

"You need a…passport," Derek gasped.

Meredith started to move her hips but then pulled back gently. "Derek," she whispered. "I'm sorry, I know you want to, but I'm just not ready."

Derek smiled softly as he pulled back. "It's okay, Mer," he said. "I know you're still healing."

Meredith sighed as she moved off his lap and looked down at the bulge still present in his jeans. "It doesn't look okay," she said.

"Mer, really, it's fine," Derek said, taking a deep breath. "Just give me a second."

"Well, I might be able to help you out," Meredith replied, moving down on the bed and reaching for the button of his jeans, causing him to moan softly. "Mer," he said softly. "You don't have to…"

"I want to," Meredith replied, before lowering her lips to make contact with his skin, smiling slightly at his moan of appreciation.

XXXXX

"I can't believe that didn't earn me the knowledge of where our honeymoon is," Meredith giggled as she and Derek walked down the stairs an hour later.

"You could use a surprise to look forward to," Derek replied, kissing her neck gently.

"Our wedding isn't enough to look forward to?" Meredith asked as they walked into the kitchen to find an annoyed Izzie.

"Well, I guess the good thing about the two of you getting married so soon is that I won't have to listen to my boss have sex all the time," she said as she pulled a pan of muffins out of the oven. She froze and turned quickly to look at Meredith. "Where are you going to live?" she asked.

"At my house," Meredith replied. "You know we're building our own house, Iz."

"But until that's done," Izzie replied. "Are you going to sell this house? Because I need somewhere to live, and I can't find a new place in a month."

Meredith glanced at Derek for a moment before she turned back to Izzie and said, "You can stay."

Izzie paused before she asked, "really?"

"Sure," Meredith shrugged. "You can get another roommate if you want to put in my room. It's not a big deal."

"Oh," Izzie said. "Thanks." She placed her muffins on the stove and turned to walk out of the room, leaving Meredith and Derek alone in the kitchen.

"Der?" she asked as he put a pot under the sink and filled it, preparing to make Meredith's favorite pasta dinner.

"Hmm?" he asked turning the burner on and reaching into the cupboard to grab the pasta.

"Where are we going to live?"

Derek turned to look at her. "The house won't be done for months," he replied knowingly.

"I don't…the trailer?" she asked softly.

"You want to live in the trailer?" Derek asked softly.

"Yeah," Meredith replied. "It's quiet and we can watch the house be built and…I don't want to start out here. It's like a dorm except not really because we're adults, and I just…I want to be alone with you. At the trailer. If that's what you want."

Derek smiled as he walked over to her and pressed his lips against her cheek. "Of course, Mer," he said. "I'll live anywhere you want to."

"Good," Meredith sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Derek?"

"Hmm?"

"We're getting married in three weeks."

"I know," Derek replied, holding her close. "I can't wait."


	28. Chapter 28

Meredith looked in the full length mirror that had been placed inside the trailer, amazed at the reflection looking back at her. She, Meredith Grey, was dressed in a wedding dress, ready to get married. Since she had woken up alone and cold that morning, Izzie and Derek's sisters had kept her busy, and now all she had to do was wait. Her hair was pinned up in a curly updo, a sheer white veil covering the soft waves, her dress was zipped and in place, and her bouquet of lilies was waiting in a glass vase at their beside, waiting to be carried down the aisle .

The past month had been busier than she'd thought, but it had all worked out. She and Derek had found a good balance between work, planning the wedding, and relaxing with each other and his mother. Since his sisters and their families had made the trip out to Seattle on Wednesday, everything had gone completely non stop, but she wouldn't have had it any other way. Surrounded by the love and happiness that she remembered from their vacation just a few months ago had been exciting and real, and now she was ready. She wasa officially ready to become Meredith Shepherd.

She'd changed everything already; her driver's license, passport, hospital ID, and even her lab coat no longer read Meredith Grey. She took a deep breath as she turned away from the mirror to meet Kathleen's excited smile, knowing the next time she looked in the mirror she would be looking at Derek Shepherd's wife.

"Are you ready?" Kathleen asked, shaking the water off of Meredith's bouquet gently.

"Yes," Meredith said with a wide smile as she took the bouquet and stepped onto the deck, smiling widely at Christina and Izzie who were waiting for the ceremony to start.

"You look beautiful, Mer," Izzie said excitedly.

"It'll be a miracle if McDreamy can keep his hands off of you for the entire reception," was Christina's offer for a compliment.

"Thanks," Meredith breathed. "Everything's ready."

"Everything is perfect," Kathleen said, stepping onto the uneven ground. "Are you okay to walk on the grass?"

"Yeah," Meredith said as she followed her three bridesmaids towards the cliff. "I'm wearing flats for that very reason."

"Here we go," Kathleen whispered, squeezing Meredith's hand as Izzie made her way down the aisle, followed by Christina. "You look beautiful. Good luck."

Kathleen began to walk slowly down the makeshift aisle of white folding chairs leading to the small archway Derek and Mark had spent hours the previous weekend building and painting. Now, the two of them stood beneath it in their perfect tuxes, hands folded in front of them as they waited for Meredith to make her ways towards them.

When she finally took a step towards them, she had to fight the urge to run the rest of the way into Derek's arms. The way he was looking at her was enough to completely take her breath away and fall in love with him all over again. His eyes were soft and loving, and she could see them misting slightly as she stepped close enough to take his outstretched hand. He squeezed her hand tightly as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "you look sensational."

Meredith offered him a bright smile and squeezed his hand back as they turned to look at the minister, only minutes separating them from becoming husband and wife.

XXXXXX

The door slammed shut behind them as Derek grabbed Meredith's hips and pulled her close, kissing her passionately. Meredith moaned as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth to tangle with her own for a moment before she pulled back slightly.

"Der," she whispered, giggling as she leaned back to look into his eyes. "You have to stop."

"Mmm, why?" he asked, leaning in for another kiss.

"Because we have an entire reception out there waiting for us," Meredith replied. "And I'm pretty sure the reason you booked that ridiculously expensive hotel room in our own town for tonight is so that we can do that."

"You're going to love the hotel," Derek replied. "And I want to make love to my wife."

Meredith felt a warm rush come over her at being called Derek's wife, but she knew she couldn't give in. "Derek, I'm not going into my wedding reception with a wrinkled dress and sex hair," she replied. "Find a way to deal with it until we're alone."

"Fine," Derek sighed as he laced his fingers through hers. "You better not start withholding sex now just cause we're married. Because the brothers in law told me it would happen…"

Meredith laughed as she kissed him gently. "I promise, I will never withhold sex," she replied. "Unless you're stupid. Which actually may be a lot."

"You can't be mean to your husband on your wedding day," Derek protested.

"Oh," Meredith breathed softly, still not able to absorb the fact that Derek was her husband. She smiled as she brought his left hand up to examine the shiny white gold ring that she had placed there only minutes before. "It looks good," she murmured.

"I love it," Derek replied as she ran her hand over the metal. "It's never coming off."

"Never?" Meredith asked. "What are you going to do when it falls into a patient's brain?"

Derek thought for a moment before he said, "Okay, except for surgery, it's never coming off."

A knock on the door interrupted Meredith's giggle and Mark's voice boomed, "Shep, we're all waiting for you out here. Kathleen says that you better not have messed up Grey's hair or you've ruined all your pictures."

"It's Shepherd," Meredith said as she moved to open the door and step out of the trailer, meeting a frowning Mark as she did so.

"Well, you're always going to be Grey to me," Mark declared after a moment. "Too damn confusing the other way."

"You could try using our first names," Derek replied, wrapping an arm around Meredith's waist and pulling her close.

Mark waved a hand in dismissal. "Whatever," he shrugged. "Can we get these pictures over with so we can eat? I'm starving."

"Let's go," Kathleen said, dragging Meredith towards the cliff. "Girls first."

After an hour or so of taking pictures, Derek led Meredith into the small tent they had set up on the corner of their land, smiling as their family and friends clapped and cheered loudly for them. He led her to the middle of the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her as he whispered, "ready to dance?"

Meredith nodded and wrapped her arms around him as the first strands of Billy Joel's "To Make you Feel my Love" began playing over the speakers. They'd spend hours going their ipods and arguing about the song before they had finally decided on this one when Derek had declared it was exactly how he felt about her.

"We're married," she breathed in his ear.

"We are," Derek replied, burying his face in her neck. "It's the best thing I've ever done."

"Me too."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Derek sighed happily as they turned slowly, ignoring the eyes of the entire room on them as he hugged her close.

"Der?" she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Honeymoon?"

Derek sighed as he pulled back to look at her. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

"Nope," Meredith replied. "I know you're the most stubborn person in the world, but I'm second."

Derek looked at her for a moment before he said, "Cancun."

"Really?" Meredith asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

"Really," Derek replied, kissing her gently. "You're too beautiful for me to resist today."

"Does that mean if I ever need you to do anything for me, all I have to do is put on my wedding dress?"

"That may very well work," Derek said softly, tracing the outline of the fabric on her dress. "And for the record, if we're the two most stubborn people in the world, our kids are going to be nightmares."

"Our kids will be perfect," Meredith sighed, putting her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe we're here."

"Believe it," Derek replied. "We'll never be alone again."

The song came to an end, and the clapping of the people around them brought the newlyweds back to reality. Derek kissed her softly before leading her off the dance floor to the table at the front of the tent where they would eat their first meal as a married couple. Meredith giggled as Derek pulled her chair out for her, knowing that everything she did for the next couple days would be the first thing they did as a married couple.

"What's so funny?" Derek asked as he took his seat beside her.

"Nothing, really," Meredith said. "I was just thinking how everything I do is suddenly new because I'm doing it as a married woman."

"It is exciting," Derek agreed. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Meredith squeezed his hand, smiling at him for a moment before they turned to the food in front of them. They talked quietly with each other and the wedding party for the next few minutes before they stood to make rounds around the small tables that held their guests.

Alexis was first to jump to her feet and congratulate the two of them. "I'm so glad you're my sister now," she said as she hugged Meredith tightly. "We're going to have so much fun together. Especially since you like making fun of Derek almost as much as I do."

Meredith giggled. "It's so easy to do," she said. "How could I not enjoy it?"

"I'm invisible at my own wedding," Derek announced. "That feels good."

Alexis laughed as she reached out to hug Derek. "You know I love you, big brother," she said. "If I didn't I really would ignore you."

Derek laughed as he kissed her cheek. "I know," he replied. "Love you, sis."

"Go talk to your guests," Alexis said with a smile. "We're staying late."

Derek smiled and placed a gentle hand on Meredith's back, leading her to the table where the majority of the Seattle Grace surgical staff sat. "At least we know there won't be any problems if anyone needs surgery," Derek said as he approached, shaking Richard's hand as Meredith and Addison faced each other for a moment before hugging awkwardly.

"Thank you for coming, Addison," Derek said as he pressed a friendly kiss to her cheek. "I know it's awkward, but…you're a true friend."

"We're honored that you're here," Meredith chimed in.

"Thank you," Addison replied. "I um…I'm actually really happy to be here. It means a lot."

"So when's the open bar start?" Alex asked as he walked over to the conversation.

"It started hours ago," Meredith rolled her eyes. "Outside."

"Wonderful," Alex replied, pausing before he kissed her cheek gently. "Congratulations," he whispered quickly before walking towards the entrance of the tent.

"You better not corrupt my intern any more than you already have," Bailey announced as she approached Derek and Meredith. "She's got a lot of learning to do."

"She's the one doing the corrupting," Derek laughed, opening his arms. "Do I get a hug for congratulations? It's the proper etiquette for weddings. And I'm the groom."

"You're a damn fool," Bailey replied before turning to Meredith. "I expect to see you back at work in a week," she said, smiling softly before she turned to walk towards Christina, leaving Derek and Meredith alone in the corner of the room.

"And then there were two," Derek sighed as he wrapped his arms around Meredith from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "God, this is perfect, Mer."

"It really is," she mumbled, leaning into his embrace. "I can't believe I fought this for so long."

"It's okay," Derek said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "We're here now, that's all that matters."

Meredith sighed happily as she turned in his arms. "Together forever?" she asked.

"Forever," Derek agreed, leaning in to seal the deal with a kiss.


	29. Chapter 29

"Please?" Meredith begged, standing on Derek's side of their kingside bed in Cancun, a pout on her face.

"Mer, we're on our honeymoon," Derek groaned, attempting to pull her closer and take off the bathing suit she had donned moments earlier.

"Exactly," Meredith replied, slapping his hand away. "We're on our honeymoon and we're leaving in two days. We need pictures, Derek, something to prove that we've left this amazing room at least once."

"But we haven't left the room."

Meredith smiled as she looked down at him. The past few days had been amazing. After the wedding, she and Derek had spent the night in the Ritz's honeymoon suit before boarding the plane the next afternoon. Since then, they had only left their hotel room for a quick dip in the pool and walk on the beach before returning to the sanctity of their hotel room that didn't require them to wear clothes. It had been perfect, but now she wanted to see something outside the room.

"Derek, we need to prove to our family that we actually left the room at least once," Meredith replied, throwing his swim trunks at him. "I'm going to the beach whether you want to or not. So you could just stop complaining and come with me, or stay here by yourself. Your call."

"Fine," Derek grumbled, standing to pull on the swim trunks. "And for the record, the point of a honeymoon is to have sex non stop."

Meredith smiled as she slid her arms around her neck. "I love the sex, Derek," she replied. "But I want to do other things too. I gave you sex seven times yesterday. I need a break."

Derek's face immediately softened. "You should have said something," he replied.

Meredith pressed her lips against his. "That's what I'm doing now," she replied. "Now, come on."

Derek took her hand and followed her towards the cabanas on the beach outside their hotel. They stopped quickly at the poolside bar to order drinks, then moved to settle on the lounge chairs. Meredith leaned her head back as she let herself bask in the sun, feeling herself absorb the sunlight.

"I never pictured you to be the tanning type," Derek broke into her thoughts.

"We live in Seattle, Der," she replied, eyes still closed. "Not much opportunity for enjoying the sun."

"True," Derek replied, leaning back in his own seat. They were silent for a moment before Derek turned to her and asked, Mer?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you mind if I go in the water real quick?" he asked. "I know it makes me an ass that I'm asking, I just…it's really hot. I need to cool down."

Meredith turned to look at him, a smile playing on her lips. "Derek, I will never say no to anything that involves your wet body," she giggled. "Go ahead."

"Thanks," Derek said as he stood and tossed his sunglasses on his chair. "If you're up for it, maybe we can have your first swimming lesson later today."

Meredith bit her lower lip and nodded, trying to hide her fear. "Sure," she managed to say before Derek leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head.

"Love you," he said softly before he turned to walk towards the water, already anticipating the release from the humidity of the southern sun. Meredith watched as he waded into the water and ducked under, smiling as she closed her eyes again and leaned back against the chair, allowing herself to feel completely at peace. This was perfect.

She had just about reached the point of dozing when she felt a figure standing in her sun. Before she could open her eyes to protest, she felt a splash of cold water make contact with her body and she shrieked as she jumped to her feet, her eyes angrily landing on her husband who stood in front of her with a smirk on his face.

"I thought you could use some cooling off," he said with a shrug.

"I should divorce you for that," Meredith replied, snapping his towel out of his hands. "You are so going to pay for that."

Derek laughed as he took the towel out of her hands and reached over to help her dry off. "You have to admit it was funny," he said.

"If by funny you mean cruel and unnecessary, then, yes, it was funny," Meredith replied, unable to stop the smile that played against her lips. She sat down on her chair again and watched Derek as he dried off and sat back down as well.

"You know what I was thinking?" he asked.

"What?"

"We can go out tonight," Derek replied. "Get dressed up, and I'll take you out to a fancy dinner, and we can order the most expensive bottle of champagne they have and just…have a really nice dinner."

"I like that," Meredith replied, turning on her side to look at him. "I liked going on dates with you. Even though we didn't really go out that much…I liked the dates."

"The dates don't have to stop because we're married," Derek replied. "If anything, we'll go out more."

"Oh," Meredith said. "I guess…we've only really been on a couple dates, so…I figured that's who you were with Addison and you didn't work with her, so it's probably not a good idea…"

"Mer," Derek said softly, reaching to squeeze her hand. "We're not going to end up like Addison and I, I promise. And there's nothing wrong with me spoiling you to a fancy dinner once in awhile. With Addison, she expected us to do it every week. I know you're not like that."

Meredith nodded. "Dinner would be good," she replied. "What else can we do on dates?"

"Movies," Derek replied. "But we have to sit in the back so I can feel you up."

Meredith gasped. "Why, Derek Shepherd, that is hardly what a perfect gentleman would do," she teased.

Derek laughed as he laced his fingers through his and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "And if there's times when you really want to…I might be convinced to take you dancing."

"Really?" Meredith asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"I will need a lot of convincing," Derek said. "But I think it's possible."

"Hmm," Meredith replied. "I think I know a few tricks."

"Like what?" Derek asked breathlessly.

"Well, there's the thing I do that makes you scream yourself hoarse," Meredith purred. "And there's always the fact that if I just put my wedding dress back on you said I could get you to do anything."

Derek swallowed hard as he discreetly placed his bundled up towel in his lap. "Mer, you're killing me," he whispered.

Meredith giggled. "I suppose I can do something about that," she said. "I'm feeling a lot less sore."

"You think I want you to do that here?" Derek hissed. "Seriously, Mer, I'm losing brain cells here."

She laughed as she leaned in to kiss him passionately. "As willing as I would be to have sex with you in public, I think there a few too many children here," she said. "I'll be waiting in our room," she breathed in his ear before turning to walk seductively towards the hotel, shooting him a knowing look over her shoulder.

Derek swallowed hard as he tried to calm down for a moment, finally deciding that he was okay enough to walk back to their room. He walked inside quickly, anticipating what his wife had in store for him.

XXXXXX

"Mer, we're going to be late," Derek said as he knocked on the bathroom door.

"I'm almost ready," she called from inside. "Five minutes. Less than that. Two."

Derek rolled his eyes as he sat down on the bed. Somehow, he had managed to fall in love with the only woman in the world who care less about make up and hair straightening, but she still managed to take forever whenever they needed to go somewhere. He wasn't sure he would ever figure out the mystery that was his wife, but he wasn't sure he wanted to. As he looked down at his watch, his eyes snapped up when he heard the bathroom door open. His jaw dropped as he saw Meredith standing before him in a shirt red dress, her straightened hair falling down her back and her long legs ending in a pair of red high heels.

"You like?" she asked, turning in a slow circle to give him the full effect.

"Mer," he breathed, standing and walking over to her as he felt the need to touch her. "God, you look hot."

She smiled as she pressed her lips against his, leaning back to look at him. "You look pretty hot yourself, Dr. Shepherd," she said coyly as she took in his light blue shirt and khaki pants. "This is a new look for you."

"Thank you, Dr. Shepherd," Derek replied, placing a kiss on her cheek. "Shall we go before I decide it's a better idea to stay here?"

"Good idea," Meredith laughed as she took his hand and rested her head against his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said as he led her down the street. "Can you walk in those things?" he asked, looking down at her heels. "We can get a cab, but it's not that far."

"It's fine," Meredith replied, shaking her head. "I feel…confident or something in them."

"Well, they sure as hell look hot," Derek replied as they walk up to a small restaurant, lit with soft, intimate candles and stringed lights. "Here we are."

"Only you would find an Italian restaurant in Mexico," Meredith giggled as they approached the hostess.

"It's your favorite," Derek replied. "Nothing but the best for my girl." He turned to the hostess and smiled. "Two for Shepherd."

"Right this way," she smiled, leading them to the back corner of the restaurant, where a table was secluded from the rest of the room.

"Derek," Meredith breathed as he held her chair for her. "This is…I can't believe you did this."

"I figured it would be nice," he replied. "But if you want to go somewhere else…"

"No," Meredith replied. "I…this is amazing."

"Good," Derek said, squeezing her hand. "What will it be, Mrs. Shepherd?"

XXXXX

"Have you had a good honeymoon?" Derek asked a couple hours later as they walked back to the hotel along the beach, arm in arm as Meredith rested her head against his shoulder.

"It's been perfect," Meredith replied. "I don't want to go back."

Derek kissed the top of her head. "We'll do it together, Mer," he said.

"I know," she sighed as she moved to sit down on the rock wall that separated the grass from the sand. "Do you think it will be different?"

"Being married?" Derek asked as he moved to sit beside her. "No, I don't really. We were already…us before. Now it's just official."

Meredith nodded. "I can't believe we're here," she whispered. "I remember…when you told me you wanted me to come with you to Florida, I was so scared. I wasn't even sure that I trusted you completely. And now we're here. I have my exam next month, and then I'll be a resident, or at least hopefully I will be, and then the house will be done."

"You're freaking out," Derek smiled softly at her.

"No, I'm…" Meredith sighed as she looked at him. "Maybe I am freaking out," she admitted. "I'm just…I have no idea how to be married, Derek."

"I don't either," Derek replied. "We'll learn together. That's the point."

"Of course you know how to be married," Meredith rolled her eyes. "You were married for twelve years."

"That was different," Derek replied. "And even though I was married…I wasn't a good husband."

"Okay, not the thing to tell your new wife when she's freaking out," Meredith rolled her eyes.

Derek looked at her for a moment before he took her face in his hands. "I want you to promise me something, Mer," he whispered. "I love you, more than anything in the world, and you know that. And I'm going to try as hard as I can to make you happy and give you everything you want. But if I ever get absent…even for a day or an hour, you need to tell me. I refuse to let what happened to Addison and I happen to us. That would kill me, Mer. So promise me, you won't let that happen."

"I promise," Meredith whispered, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.


	30. Chapter 30

Meredith Shepherd. She was Meredith Shepherd. Meredith Grey no longer existed, and in place of the scared, broken girl who ran whenever things got hard was Meredith Shepherd, who was confident and happy with her life. Meredith Grey got scared of going to work whenever anything was different, but she was Meredith Shepherd now, and she shouldn't be scared to go to work with her husband.

She sighed and threw herself against the back of the passenger seat of Derek's car as she told herself to shut up. If she kept this up, she was going to convince herself she had different personalities.

"Everything's going to be fine," Derek said from his place in the driver's seat.

"I know," Meredith replied. "Fine. Everything will be fine. Except not fine because that's when I say when I'm not fine, so it won't be fine. Good. Everything will be good. Not fine."

Derek laughed softly. "What exactly are you so nervous about?" he asked.

"I don't know," she sighed. "But…you're going to think I'm crazy."

"I already think that," Derek offered. "So you might as well tell me so I'll have proof."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I like you better when we were on our honeymoon," she grumbled.

"We can relive some of the best parts of the honeymoon in my office today," Derek replied, trying to ease whatever fears she had about work. When she didn't respond, he reached across the car to squeeze her hand gently. "Seriously, Mer, what's going on?"

"I guess…I'm Meredith Shepherd now," she said. "Which is great, and I want to Meredith Shepherd, I do. But I only know how to be Meredith Grey. And I know it doesn't make sense because I'm still me, but…I just don't know how to be Meredith Shepherd. It's easy enough to just be me when it's the two of us, but the rest of the world expects me to be your perfect wife, and I'm just…me."

Derek was silent for a moment as he pulled into his parking spot and turned to look at her, a frown taking over his features. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"See, I told you that you would think I'm crazy," Meredith replied, moving to open the door.

"Hey, you're not going anywhere," Derek replied, reaching out to grab her arm. "Seriously, Mer, I don't understand what the problem is. But I want to know because it's obviously bothering you. So just tell me."

Meredith looked at him with wide eyes and sighed, knowing that she could tell him what she was thinking. "They're all expecting me to be different," she whispered. "Because I'm Derek Shepherd's wife, and Derek Shepherd's wife doesn't ramble or run when things get hard. She knows what she's doing and always knows what to say, and…I can't do that."

"Meredith, you're my wife," he said softly. "You just described…someone who's not you. And I didn't marry you because I want to mold you into some perfect woman. I married you because I love you. And you are perfect, perfect for me. There's no other man who can follow those rambles or convince you it's worth it to stay when you feel the urge to run. No one expects you to be different, Mer. Just be yourself."

Meredith nodded softly. "I can…I'll try," she replied. "I just…it's weird. I have a new name. Patients I meet today won't even have a second thought that my name hasn't always been Dr. Shepherd. And it's really weird that I'm the head of neuro's wife."

"And the head of neuro wants his wife to be herself," Derek said. "The woman he loves more than life itself."

"You're very corny," she said as she leaned across the car to kiss him gently. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Derek replied. "Are you ready to go in?"

"Yep," Meredith said, getting out of the car and walking inside with him. After a quick ride in the elevator, they parted ways so Derek could go to his office and Meredith could get her assignment for the day in the locker room. As soon as she opened the door, she heard Izzie squeal in excitement and rush over to her.

"You're back!" she cried, pulling her into a hug. "How was Cancun?"

"It was wonderful," Meredith replied, hugging Izzie back before moving to her locker. "How's everything been here?"

"Good," George replied. "Umm…are you…did you hear?"

"Hear about what?" Meredith asked as she smiled at the brand new lab coat she pulled it out of its wrapping. Meredith Shepherd, MD. Even her medical license had been changed.

"The intern exam," Izzie replied. "It's been moved forward."

Meredith froze, her arm halfway through her sleeve. "Forward?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's next month," George said. "Apparently they got the dates mixed up. Except for major surgeries and emergencies, we're all on scut until the exam so we can study."

Meredith stared at them for a moment before she dropped onto the bench. "Right," she said. "The test wasn't supposed to be for three months and now it's in one. Great. I knew something was going to happen. That stupid brain man told me that everything was going to work but it's not. There's no way I can make up for everything I've missed…"

"Shepherd," she heard a firm voice say, causing her to snap to attention, a small smile playing on her lips. The smile quickly disappeared when she saw Bailey staring down at her with a stern look on her face. "I assume your friends have brought you up to date on everything you've missed," she said. "Now, you're on Burke's scut today. Labs, charts, observing surgery tomorrow if you can go without begging to be in the OR today."

Meredith stood and walked with Bailey out to the main floor as she asked, "Um, Dr. Bailey, I'm wondering if there's anyway I can get my exam date moved back. Because I had to take time off when I nearly drowned, and then I got married and took time off, and I know I'm behind and it's my fault, but is there any way? I know I'd be behind your other interns, but I just don't know if I can do it and I don't want to repeat this entire year because it's been a really bad year. Well, the first part was bad, but now it's good because I'm married to Derek, but not perfect because I'm supposed to take a test in a month that I wasn't going to take for three months…" she trailed off when she saw Bailey staring at her in disbelief. "Dr. Bailey?"

"Are you aware that you're still talking?" she demanded.

"Right," Meredith nodded, turning to walk away quickly. "Scut. Test in a month. Got it. Sorry for wasting your time." When she saw Burke leaning against the nurse's station, she approached him and said, "Dr. Burke? I'm on your scut duty today."

"Ah, Dr…Shepherd," Burke said shaking his head slightly. "It's going to take awhile to get used to this."

Meredith smiled. "It's okay," she said. "To be honest, I'm still not used to it."

"I'm sure it won't take too long," Burke replied as he handed her a pile of folders. "Bring these to the labs for me please?"

"Sure," Meredith replied, taking them from him as she turned to walk towards the elevator, smiling softly when she saw her husband step off. His eyes brightened when he saw her and he stopped in front of her.

"Hi," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Meredith snapped. "Perfectly fine. I just found out that I have to take my intern exam in a month. We still haven't decided on any paint samples for the house. None of my stuff is moved into the trailer yet. And best of all, I'm back at work only to find that I'm on scut until after the exam, which I'm going to fail because I have no time to study."

"Your exam got moved up?" Derek asked.

"Yes," Meredith snapped. "And I'm going to fail."

"You're not going to fail," Derek assured her. "I promise. And before you start on another rant, I'm going to tell you exactly what we're going to do. Until after the exam, we don't have to decide anything about the house. Every moment off of work you have, you'll study. I'll help you, but when you need to study alone, I'll move stuff into the trailer so you can really be moved in. And I have some tricks of the trade that may help you more than you think."

Meredith looked at him curiously. "Like what?" she asked.

Derek smiled as he leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek. "Let's just say it's a Shepherd family secret," he whispered. "We've all scored in the first percentile of the intern exam."

"Oh," Meredith said with wide eyes. "And I… I'm a Shepherd."

"You're a Shepherd," Derek agreed. "Don't worry, I'll help you."

"Okay, well, I have to get these tests to the lab, and then I'm on Burke's scut for the rest of the day, so I probably won't see you til we go home," Meredith sighed.

Derek frowned. "Why don't you study in my office?" he asked.

"Derek, if I study in your office, you're just going to want to have sex," Meredith rolled her eyes. "I can't do that."

He laughed. "You're right," he said. "Alright, go study. I have surgery in a couple hours, then you can go to the office without being distracted."

"Good," Meredith replied, smiling softly. "Thanks."

He flashed her a smile as he squeezed her hand softly and turned to walk towards the nurse's station. Meredith watched him for a moment before she turned to walk onto the elevator, feeling slightly better that Derek had been able to understand her apprehension about the test being sooner than planned.

XXXXX

Meredith was curled into the corner of the couch in Derek's office, reading her cardio textbook when the door slammed open and she was met with the sight of a very angry husband storming into the office.

"Derek?" she asked, setting her book aside. "Are you okay?"

"Mer, I forgot you'd be in here," he said, running his finger through his hair as he began to pace the office. "No, I'm not okay."

Meredith felt her blood run cold. "What is it?" she breathed. "Did you talk to Mom? Is everyone okay? What happened?"

Derek shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that," he replied. "It's…Richard. I can't believe I used to consider that man my mentor. God, he pisses me off."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she sat back and reached for her textbook. "Were you arguing about me again?" she asked. "Because really, Derek, it gets old."

"No, this has nothing to do with you," Derek replied. "He's retiring."

Meredith's head snapped up and she examined him for a moment. "Well, isn't that a good thing?" she asked. "I mean, you'll be chief now, right? That's why you came to Seattle."

"I should be Chief now," Derek replied. "Because that's what he promised me when I came out here. And I knew that I'd have to compete against my ex-wife and my best friend."

"Mark and Addison both want to be chief?" Meredith asked.

"Yes," Derek replied. "How the hell did this happen?"

"I don't know," Meredith sighed. "Well, at least we both have a good reason to put our lives on hold for the next month."

Derek collapsed onto the couch beside her. "I guess the real world doesn't stop, even if you get married," he said. "How much longer is your shift?"

"I was done an hour ago," Meredith replied with a sigh, moving to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Hmmm," Derek sighed. "So for a couple weeks it's okay if we focus on our own stuff?" he asked.

"I guess we don't really have a choice," Meredith sighed. "I mean, it would be nice to live in a constant state of newlywed bliss, but…really that's not realistic."

Derek pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "How about this?" he asked. "We set aside an hour each day for us time. It doesn't matter if it's a quick lunch in between surgeries or watching from the gallery. Just an hour a day where we're together and not thinking about work. Just each other."

Meredith sighed as she nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah," she whispered. "That sounds good."

Derek tightened his arms around her as they sat together on the couch, silently cherishing their last few moments of peace before their lives turned into chaos for the next month.


	31. Chapter 31

**Yeah, think it's obvious after the amazingness that was tonight's episode that I don't own the show. If only...**

Derek sighed as he slammed the door to his car shut, relieved to finally be home. It had been a long couple weeks, and he was looking forward to spending some time with Meredith without having to think about his race for chief. Since they had decided to take some time for each other every day he had quickly come to depend on the stolen lunches in his office and quiet dinners at the trailer to get through the day. Meredith was going to be completely fine with her exam, he had no doubts of that. Bailey was good at training her interns, and was only given the most promising ones. Meredith was smart, and she was a good doctor. There was no way she was going to score any less than the 10th percentile, especially with the secret he was planning on sharing with her tonight.

He only wished he could be as confident in himself as he was in her.

The race for chief had become long and hard, and he wasn't sure that he would be able to handle much more of it. By this point, he was pretty sure that Mark wouldn't be an option, especially once three of the board members had ran into him at Joe's the week before and seen Mark in a very public display of affection with two different nurses throughout the course of the evening.

But Derek was married to Meredith, an intern, and he was starting to think that Richard would use that against him. It was unfair and completely unprofessional, but he was sure that was why the board was putting him, Addison, and Burke through interview after interview. He was tired, and he was beginning to question whether the job would even be worth it.

"Mer?" he asked as he entered the trailer, smiling as he found her sprawled across their bed, a textbook spread open before her and a pile of paint samples beside her.

"Hi," she said brightly. "I just got done with obstetrics, which means neuro is the only thing I have left to study with is good. You can help me, right?"

Derek smiled as he dropped his bag on the floor and kicked off his shoes as he made his way towards her bed. "Of course," he said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "But you don't need it. You're the most promising intern I've ever had."

She rolled her eyes as she closed her book and sat up, crossing her legs as she faced him. "I'm the only intern you've ever had," she replied.

Derek paused. "Yes, well, you're better than any of the ones I've seen others train," he nodded, confident in his answer.

Meredith laughed as she reached for the paint samples. "I figured we could pick the color for the living room tonight," she said.

"Good," Derek said with a smile. Their house was coming along slowly. The entire structure was up now, and they were beginning to decorate the interior. They'd already chosen everything for their bedroom, figuring that as long as that room was the first done they could move in while the rest of the house was still being finished. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking either red or tan," Meredith replied. "But if you want another color we can consider it."

Derek scoffed. "Like we considered blue for the kitchen?" he asked.

"Who has a blue kitchen?" Meredith demanded. "Seriously, Derek, that's just weird. Even Elizabeth said so."

"Mom liked my idea," Derek grumbled.

"Tha't because you're a mama's boy," Meredith said as she got off the bed and walked towards the table. "There's a package here from her."

Derek smiled as she handed to him and settled back on the bed, watching him curiously. "This, my dear, is the secret for you passing your intern exam," he said as he ripped the box open.

"My dear?" Meredith asked with a raised eyebrow. "I know I call you old a lot as a joke, but that…that really made you sound old."

He rolled his eyes. "If you mock me I won't give it to you," he said.

"Give what to me?" Meredith asked, moving to sit behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she rested her chin on his shoulder and peered into the contents of the box.

"This is all my dad's old notes," Derek replied. "When Kath took her intern exam, he compiled them all, organized them based on specialty and in order of most to least likely to be what's on the exam. We've all used this to study, and none of us have been outside the first percentile."

"Oh," Meredith breathed, taking the heavy binder out of Derek's hand. "It's…amazing."

Derek smiled as he watched her flip through the yellowed pages, filled with sticky notes and tab dividers that he and his sisters had used to become doctors. "There's more," he replied, reaching back into the box. He pulled out a smaller shoebox and opened it to reveal several piles of index cards kept together with rubber bands. "Flashcards," he replied. "I made these all in med school, every single disease with all the symptoms and treatments."

"Oh my God," Meredith breathed, leaning forward to press a firm kiss to his lips. "You're the best husband ever."

Derek laughed. "I know," he said. "And I know you're ready, so you can keep the notebook with you to study at work. But, I have a few ideas for the flashcards."

"Ideas?" Meredith asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmmhmm," Derek replied. "Like, for every five questions you answer right, I get to kiss any part of your body that I want."

"Oh, dirty games," Meredith said knowingly.

"Very dirty," Derek replied with a nod.

"That will be fun," Meredith said. "But first…we need to choose a paint color."

Derek frowned as he watched her reach for the paint samples. "Seriously?" he asked.

"Seriously," Meredith replied. "I went in today and Dan said they can order the paint in the morning if we make a decision."

Derek sighed as he reached for the chips she had marked with post its. "I like this one," he said, holding up a dark red.

"Mmm," Meredith nodded. "That one's good. I can't decide if I like that or the tan."

Derek looked at the tile she was pointing to and nodded. "You're right," he said. "I think I like the tan better."

"Really?" Meredith asked. "That's the easiest color we've come up with."

"You're the one who wanted the carpet in the upstairs hall to be white," Derek rolled his eyes.

"So?" Meredith asked. "White is a nice color. Snow is white. You like snow."

"Kids, Mer," Derek said. "When we have kids, you're going to realize what a good idea it was to go with the navy blue carpet."

"Fine," Meredith sighed. "You might have been right about that but I was totally right about the light blue for our room."

"What are we fighting about?" Derek asked after a moment of silence.

"I'm not sure," Meredith giggled. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. "Thanks for letting me in on the Shepherd family secret."

"You're a Shepherd," Derek replied, moving to press her into the mattress. "Of course I'm going to let you in on the secret."

Meredith rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips, leaning down to kiss him. "I think you deserve some proper thanks."

"That would be very appreciated," he murmured, his eyes heavy as he looked up at her, running his hands over her body.

XXXXX

An hour later, Meredith pulled out of Derek's arms to walk to the fridge. "Are you hungry?" she asked, his shirt riding up on her legs as she leaned in to grab a water bottle.

"No, I grabbed a sandwich before I left the hospital," Derek said from the bed, his arms behind his head as he watched Meredith open a container of yogurt. "Mer?"

"Hmm?" she asked glancing through the pile of mail she had left on the table.

"Do you want me to take the job?"

Meredith froze as she turned to look at him, frozen with her spoon in her mouth. "What do you mean?" she asked as she lowered the spoon and looked at him curiously.

"I just…I came out here to be chief but then I met you and my entire life changed," Derek said softly, almost to himself. "And now, this campaign for chief has me so exhausted and I just…I don't know if I want the job anymore. And I wanted to know what you think, because I hate that I haven't asked you what you think."

Meredith stared at him as she slowly walked forward. "Derek," she breathed. "How can you not want to be chief?"

"I've seen what it's done to Richard," Derek replied. "His marriage is a mess, they never had kids. I don't want that to happen to us."

"That happened to Richard because he let it," Meredith replied. "I can't tell you what to do, Derek, but you can't give it up because you want to be a good father and husband. You can be both."

"No, I can't," Derek said. "I'm exhausted, Mer. Just from trying to convince the board that I should get the job. Once I get the job, there will be paperwork, lawsuits, less surgery. I honestly don't know that I want it."

"Okay," Meredith replied slowly, reaching to run her fingers through his hair in a comforting gesture. "Der, it sounds like you've already made up your mind."

"I know," he whispered. "But…I don't want you to be disappointed in me."

"Disappointed?" Meredith frowned. "Why the hell would I be disappointed?"

"If you want me to take the job, I will, Mer," he said. "If for some reason you want me to do this, tell me, because I'll do it. For you."

"Derek," she breathed, leaning forward to wrap her arms around him. "That would never disappoint me. I just want you to be happy. And if you don't think the job will make you happy, then no, I don't want you to take it."

Derek sighed, tightening his arms around her. "I don't think I'm going to," he whispered. "It's too much. I want to be able to enjoy time off with you. I want to stay at home with the kids for awhile. I want to have a life separate from my job. But the chief doesn't get that."

Meredith nodded against his shoulder. She thought for a moment before she said, "The only drawback I see is that now I'll never get to be head of neuro."

Derek laughed as he wrapped her tighter in his arms and pressed her into the mattress, suddenly feeling much better about his life. Now that he had talked with Meredith, his life made sense again and he didn't feel the need to justify his desires to drop out of the running. His life was good again.


	32. Chapter 32

"Whoa, what's in the binder?" Christina asked as Meredith dropped it on the table in the conference room before throwing herself into a chair.

"This," Meredith replied. "Is my Bible. This is the book that every intern wants, but I have."

Izzie frowned as she reached for it, her eyes widening as Meredith slapped her hand away. "Whoa, Mer, what's going on?" she asked.

"This is the key to passing the intern exam. Derek's father made it," Meredith said proudly. "It's a Shepherd family heirloom. And I'm a Shepherd so now I get access to the secret book."

"But you're not going to share?" Izzie frowned.

"Dude, she probably got hitched to Shepherd just so she could have Michael Shepherd's medical notes," Alex said with a scoff.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Right, that's exactly what it is," she said. "And I'm not allowed to share."

"Mer, maybe we could…steal it for a couple hours?" George suggested. "Just…photocopy some notes?"

She sighed. "Look, guys, we have forty eight hours," she said. "Derek's really weird about this thing, and I can't break my promise to him. I can, however, help lead a review?"

Christina perked up at Meredith's idea. "I like that," she said. "I'm in, Mer."

Meredith giggled. "Don't tell Derek," she said. "Maybe we can do it at your place?"

"Sure," Christina said. "Burke's on call tonight so it doesn't matter."

"Good," Meredith replied with a nod. She stood and clutched the binder to her chest as she walked out of the room, smiling softly as she walked towards the gallery to watch Derek's surgery. She was excited that she would be able to spend some time with her fellow interns. She loved being married to Derek, and she was sure that she didn't want it any other way, but it would be fun to spend time with her friends too. Derek was planning on going to Joe's with Mark, so she knew he wouldn't care if she went out with her friends.

As she entered the gallery, she smiled softly when she saw Derek moving around the OR, getting it ready for the surgery. Mark was sitting in the front row, but other than that the gallery was empty.

"Hi," she said as she dropped into the seat beside him.

"Grey," Mark said with a nod. "Here to get your Derek fix?"

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Just looking for a quiet place to study," she replied. "The test is the day after tomorrow."

"Ah," Mark said with a nod. "And I'm assuming that why Shep decided it would be good for us to go out tonight?"

"Probably," Meredith giggled. "I made him take a sleeping bag out to the house last night because he kept trying to distract me."

Mark shook his head. "You run a tight ship," he said with a laugh. "You're the last one who has to worry about not passing."

"Thanks, Mark," Meredith said with a smile. "I feel pretty good. At this point I just want to take it and be done with it."

Mark smiled as he stood, stretching his sore arms above his head. "Well, one thing is for sure," he said as he began to make his way towards the door. "You're going to kick some serious ass in neuro. That idiot husband of yours made sure of that."

Meredith giggled as she looked down at Derek, now alone in the gallery. He leaned over his patient and spoke gently, then turned to the surgical team and said his signature phrase, causing Meredith to smile. She felt a sense of security wash over her at those words, the first words she had ever heard uttered inside of an OR, and she loved hearing him say it.

For the next hour or so she studied in the gallery, glancing up to watch the surgery at a few important points. More than once, she met Derek's eyes for the briefest of moments as he glanced towards the gallery, and each time she felt her heart skip a beat. He didn't need her there to operate, that much was certain. But the way he kept stealing glances towards her above him made it clear that even if he didn't need her to perform surgery, he was depending on her to be there for him. She smiled softly as she watched him step out of sight into the scrub room and closed the binder, wanting to catch him before he left the scrub room.

She bounded down the steps, eager for a few stolen moments with her husband before they both had to part ways.

"Hey," she said, stepping into the scrub room and smiling widely at him as he looked up from scrubbing his hands. When his eyes met hers, a soft smile played over his lips and he replied with a similar greeting of his own.

"Great job in the surgery," Meredith offered.

"Thanks," Derek sighed, cracking his neck slightly. "It went well. Would have been better if I'd had my favorite intern in there with me…"

She laughed as she moved closer, tugging gently on the tie of his ferryboat scrub cap that kept his curls under control, causing the dark waves to eagerly jump from their confines and create the mess they always did after he removed the cap. Meredith gently ran her fingers through his hair, causing him to close his eyes and sigh contentedly. "Mmmm, my favorite feeling in the world," he said gently, finally opening his eyes to look at her through narrow eyes.

"Oh, really?" Meredith asked, raising her eyebrows. "Your _very _favorite?"

Derek swallowed hard as he felt her press herself against him, his desire for her already growing. He swallowed hard as he said, "I'll send an intern to talk to the family. Meet you in the office."

"Mmmm," Meredith mumbled, running her hand discreetly over his growing erection. "On call room is closer."

"That works, then," Derek groaned, kissing her one more time before shooing her out the door so he could get himself under control.

XXXXX

Meredith sighed happily as she settled into Derek's arms, a satisfied smile playing over her lips. "Hmm, I didn't even realized I needed that," she whispered.

Derek pressed his lips against her shoulder before he rested his chin against her shoulder, his arm tightening around her stomach. "I always need that," he whispered, his voice muffled by her skin.

She laughed slightly and reached for the hand resting on her belly, lacing her fingers through his and smiling softly as their wedding rings clinked together softly. "Are you still going out with Mark tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah," Derek replied. "Unless you want me to cancel."

She rolled her eyes despite the fact that she knew he couldn't see her. "Derek, I'm one of those wives," she said. "If you want to go drink with your friends, go. I'm going to Christina's anyways."

"Okay," Derek said softly. "And I know you're not one of those wives. I thank God you're not one of those wives."

She smiled and turned to face him, their eyes locking as they stared at each other for a long moment, content simply to lose each other in their gaze as ocean blue met soft green. All too soon, their perfect utopia was interrupted when the sound of a pager sliced through the peaceful silence of the room.

"It's me," Meredith groaned as she looked down at her pager and flopped back onto the soft pillows. She remained still for a moment before she turned her head to look into Derek's eyes. "I'll see you later?" she asked hopefully.

"Definitely," Derek replied, leaning forward to press his lips against hers. "wake me if you get in after me."

"I will," Meredith nodded. She moved to get dressed and looked down at him when the task was complete, biting her lower lip.

"What is it, Mer?" he asked as he stared up at her, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Just…don't drink too much, okay?" she asked. "Or…if you do, which you're totally allowed to, sleep here. It's a long drive to the trailer, and I…well just stay here."

Derek laughed at her attempt to cover up the fact that she was worrying about him. "I'll stay here, Mer," he promised. "Though I probably won't have that much anyways. It's hard to sleep without you."

She rolled her eyes as her pager went off again. She was going to have to face Bailey's wrath, but she decided it was worth it as she leaned down to press her lips against Derek's for one last moment. "Love you," she whispered before she turned to run out of the room, leaving Derek to lean back into the pillows, a smile playing on her face.

XXXXX

"Okay, I officially can't study any more," Izzie said as she threw her notebook on the table in front of her. "Do you have any alcohol?" she asked Christina, who rolled her eyes in response.

"No, Burke said that I shouldn't be getting distracted by alcohol," Christina replied.

"We could go to Joe's," George suggested.

"I thought we were going to study," Alex said, looking up from his textbook. "Come on, Grey's got the magic book of answers over there." He paused for a moment before he slammed his book shut and nodded. "Second thought, once we get her to Joe's with tequila in her, Shepherd will distract her and we can steal the book."

Meredith rolled her eyes from her position curled up on Christina's couch. "It's Shepherd," she corrected. "Not Grey." For the past two hours, they had been working diligently, creating games out of Derek's flashcards and competing to get the most correct answers. They had fallen into a silent study time half an hour ago, when they had run out of flashcards and all taken to their books. She was, however, enjoying herself despite the limited interaction they had had for the past thirty minutes; it was rare the five of them were able to spend time together by themselves very much anymore, and she was happy to simply be with her four fellow interns who had quickly become her family. "And we don't need to go to Joe's. We need to study."

"No, for once I think Evil Spawn is onto something," Christina said with a nod, resting her hand under her chin. "Come on, Mer. Don't even try to tell us that you don't want to go see McDreamy."

Meredith sighed. "Derek and I have separate friends," she replied. "He went out with Mark, and I'm here with you. We don't need to be together every night."

"Mark?" Izzie asked, a frown on her face. "Your husband is going out for drinks with the man who forced your husband to move all the way across the country?"

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Derek's forgiven him for that," she replied. "Whatever Mark and Addison were…it doesn't matter anymore. Derek needs friends, and he grew up with Mark. It makes sense that they're going to Joe's for drinks."

Izzie gestured to George with her head, clearly tagging him in to convince Meredith to abandon her studying in favor of going to the bar. He cleared his throat as he leaned forward and said, "Um, Mer, maybe it would be good for all of us just to forget about the test for a night. We've all been working really hard. And I'm sure Joe is losing a significant portion of his income since you and Christina aren't there…Ow!" he cried as Christina whacked the back of his head.

"Bambi, don't bring me into this," Christina replied as she stood up. "Okay, as of right now I'm officially kicking you all out. I'm going to Joe's and anyone who wants to can come. Otherwise, get your pathetic ass out of my apartment."

The rest of the interns all stood and began collecting their belongings, causing Meredith to look up at them in disbelief. "Seriously?" she asked. "This is our career."

"Sorry, Mer," Izzie shrugged. "We want to take a break. You can go home. But Derek is at Joe's."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she closed her notebook and reached for her coat. "I hate you," she said. "I hate you all."

"Fine," Christina replied as she led them all out of the apartment. "We'll see what you're saying when McDreamy has you pressed up against the wall of Joe's bathroom."

XXXXXX

"You seriously don't want to even check anyone out?" Mark asked in disbelief as he lifted his glass to his lips, a smile playing on his lips as he stared at the bar. "Seriously, Shep, she's not even here. And I doubt that she would care if you were just looking."

Derek rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his drink. "That's not what it is, and you know it," he replied. "I just don't want to. I have everything I need with Mer. And I thought we were coming here to get our friendship back on track."

"We are," Mark said with a nod. "Remember how we used to bond in college? Those were some good times."

"Well, I'm married now," Derek replied, running his thumb along the white gold band that Meredith had placed on his finger weeks before. "And I don't want to look at anyone besides my wife."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he replied. "I'm going to get some numbers."

Derek laughed as he finished his drink, watching Mark approach a leggy blonde at the end of the bar. With a sigh he glanced down at his watch and decided he could have one more drink before he headed home. He knew Meredith wasn't there, and he wasn't in any rush to get back to the loneliness of the empty trailer.

He approached the bar and waited for Joe to make his way over to him, smiling politely at the young, brown haired woman who bumped into him as she sat down.

"Sorry," she said, smiling nervously. "I'm not very coordinated."

Derek smiled slightly before turning back to look for Joe. He knew what was coming, and he wanted to do everything he could to delay it.

"So are you a doctor?" the brown haired girl continued. "I am. I mean not yet. I'm starting tomorrow. So tonight is just…the night before I become a doctor."

There was something familiar in the way the woman spoke and moved, and he turned to look more carefully at her, scrutinizing her face. When recognition finally sank in, he drew in a sharp breath. "Are you…" he started to say but was interrupted by the confused familiar voice of his wife.

"Dere?" What's going on?"


	33. Chapter 33

**I know it's short, but I hope you enjoy anyways :)**

Derek swallowed hard as he turned to look at Meredith, confusion written all over her face. "Mer," he breathed. "This isn't…I wasn't…you have to know that I would never…"

The girl looked between the two of them in confusion for a moment before she asked, "What's going on?"

Meredith stared at her for a moment before she said, "what's going on is that you're hitting on my husband."

"Oh," the girl said, her eyes flickering to Derek's left hand, noticing the ring for the first time. "I wasn't hitting on him. I was just…rambling. When I get nervous I ramble, and I'm sorry, I really wasn't trying anything, I'm just really nervous about being a doctor."

Meredith narrowed her eyes at the woman. Before she could reply, the blonde Mark had been hitting on came over and sat down next to the woman. "Lexie Grey, I'm going to kill you," she announced. "You dragged me out here to get hit on by jerks like that the night before I start my new job. Thanks."

"Grey," Meredith breathed, causing Derek to jump off his stool and reach for her. She turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Grey?" she asked him.

"It's okay," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead and glancing at the strange looks they were getting from the two women at the bar. "Do you want to go home?"

Meredith nodded, turning to where her friends were watching them curiously. "I just…let me take care of them," she said flatly. Derek watched helplessly as she walked back to her friends, moving slowly as if she was numb to the world around her. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, knowing that he was in for a long night. After a moment Meredith walked back towards him and he guided her towards the door with a gentle hand on her back. They got into the car silently and Derek glanced at her for a moment, wincing in anticipation of her reaction. After a moment his prediction came true as she turned to him and began pounding her fists against his bicep.

"You were talking to my sister!" Meredith screamed. "My sister, Derek! My father's little girl, you were talking to her. In a bar. In our bar! This is all your fault!"

Derek tried to dodge her hits for a moment before he finally caught her hand in his and stilled her movements. "Mer," he said gently. "I wasn't hitting on her and you know it."

She sighed as she pulled her hand out of his grasp and crossed her arms over her chest, throwing herself against the back of the seat. "I know," she replied dejectedly. "I just…when Molly was a patient? You and Addison were still together and life was…well, life was bad. And Molly went on and on about how proud Thatcher is of her older sister, his oldest daughter. And that means that he doesn't even want me to be his daughter. And now his daughter is working at our hospital and hitting on my husband in our bar."

"Mer, you have nothing to worry about," he said gently, cupping her face in his hands. "I love you. Not Lexie."

"She rambles," Meredith said softly. "She rambles, and she has a perfect mother who didn't leave her all messed up. And her hair is shiny and perfect. I just…she's the better version of me."

Derek laughed softly as he leaned across the car to kiss her gently. "Meredith, there is no better version of you," he said softly.

"There is," she insisted. "And now you're going to see the perfect Grey sister and want to marry her instead."

Derek frowned. "Don't say that," he whispered softly. "Meredith…please don't ever say that. I love _you. _You can't ever doubt that. And Meredith, you may have forgotten, but you're not a Grey anymore."

Meredith looked at him carefully for a moment and saw something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. He looked vulnerable, as if he was terrified at the thought of ever being apart from her for any reason. She nodded and squeezed his hand tightly. "You're right," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I don't think you'd ever leave me, I just…that's my dad's perfect daughter in there, and maybe I freaked out a little."

Derek scoffed. "Maybe?" he repeated. "Mer, you nearly beat me to death."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she replied. "Can we…just go home? I need to study and I don't want to think about this right now."

"Of course," Derek replied, starting the engine. "What were you doing at Joe's anyways? I thought you were going to Christina's to study."

She rolled her eyes as he eased them into traffic. "My wonderful friends had a brilliant plan that had something to do with stealing your book of answers when you distracted me."

He laughed. "I bet you were one step ahead of them," he said.

"I left it in the car," she replied with a smile.

"That's my girl," Derek said proudly, bringing their joined hands to his lips to press a kiss to the back of her hand.

"I love you," Meredith whispered, needing to hear him say it.

"Oh, Mer," he sighed, turning to look at her as they stopped at a stop light. "I love you too. So much."

"I'm sorry I'm freaking out," she whispered.

"Mer, it's okay, really," he assured her as they began moving again. "It's my job. And I'm the only one who can calm you down. I like it."

"You like it?" Meredith asked dubiously. "I just tried to beat you up."

Derek winked. "I like a little pain with my pleasure," he said in a low voice.

"Derek," she blushed, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Dirty," Meredith replied. "You're dirty. And you can't be dirty because I have my exam in two days and I need to study. So no dirty. In fact, I think you should  
camp out again tonight."

"That's just mean," Derek said with a frown.

"What's mean is when you try to feel me up while I'm studying obstetrics," Meredith rolled her eyes. "It doesn't exactly get me in the mood."

Derek grinned as he squeezed her hand. They would be alright. He and Meredith could get through an unknown half sister. Nothing else had been able to stop them from being together, so this certainly couldn't break them apart now.


	34. Chapter 34

**I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think :)**

"You're doing it wrong," Derek groaned as he looked up from his place beside the wooden bed frame he and Mark were attempting to put together.

"I'm not doing it wrong, you're doing it wrong," Mark replied, looking down at Derek.

"Would you just shut up and do it?" Derek snapped. "Mer's going to be back with her test results soon, and I want to have the room all set up for when she does."

"And you have no idea how disturbing it is that I'm helping you put together this bed so you can have sex with Grey on it," Mark groaned.

"It's Shepherd," Derek replied automatically, standing back to look at their masterpiece.

"It looks good," Mark said, looking at the four pieces of the bed frame they had put together. Since Meredith had left for what was hopefully her last shift as an intern that morning, Derek had immediately recruited Mark into helping him put together the furniture for their bedroom together so she would have a surprise to come home to. The rest of the house was still under major construction, but they had the all clear from the contractors to move in, so long as they didn't mind workers around all the time.

"Tell me again why you didn't just have something delivered that was already put together?" Mark asked.

"Because Mer loved this bed," Derek said. "And it was only available in an assembly required package.

"God, you're whipped," Mark said as he moved to sit on the steps and take a swig of water.

"Would you just help?" Derek groaned. "I want to…never mind," he said as Meredith's car pulled up. She got out of the car and ran towards Derek, a smile spreading across her features.

"I did it!" she cried as she threw herself into his arms. "I'm a resident!"

Derek laughed as he pressed his lips against hers and spun her in a gentle circle. "Congratulations!" he said. "Now I can really say that I no longer have a favorite intern."

"Yeah, you'll have a favorite resident," Mark replied with a laugh. "Congratulations, Grey."

"Shepherd," Derek and Meredith replied together.

Meredith frowned as she looked at the wooden bedposts resting on the grass and asked, "What are you guys doing?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise," Derek sighed. "But you came home early. We're getting the bedroom set up. I wanted to move in tonight."

Meredith smiled widely as she leaned in to kiss him. "That's really sweet," she said. "But did either one of you geniuses take measurements to make sure the posts will fit through the door and up the stairs?"

Derek frowned. "They're not that big," he said. "We had more room to work out here, but we're going to put everything together when we get it upstairs."

"Really?" Meredith asked, pulling back to lean against the porch. "Can I watch you try to get it in the door?"

Derek rolled his eyes as he reached for one end of a post. "Come on, Mark," he said. Mark grabbed the other end and Meredith giggled as she watched Derek's confident face turn to confusion as the frame got stuck in the door. "Lift it higher," he snapped at Mark, struggling to angle the frame so it would fit better.

"I am," Mark grunted. "Damn it, Shep."

"This is so not my fault," Derek replied.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to put a bed together outside," Meredith said as she made her way back to the trailer. "I'm going to pack my stuff. Let me know if you're going to do more stupid stuff so I can bring the video camera out."

Derek rolled his eyes as he reached for the hammer, cursing himself. "That woman is going to be the death of me," he grumbled.

"I should kill you right now," Mark groaned. "I could be in the OR right now."

"You're not going anywhere," Derek replied, a smile spreading across his lips. "Remember the apartment at Columbia?"

Mark grinned as he shook his head. "Man, that place was a shit hole," he said. "We had some good times there though."

Derek laughed. "Yes, I believe it was there that you got turned down for the first time," he said.

"That so didn't count," Mark replied. "I didn't even want to sleep with her. She was the organic chem tutor, I thought I could get some pointers for the final."

"You really are a manwhore," Derek said as he looked down at the bed frame that was completely taken apart now. He was determined to finish this tonight, he'd promised himself that he and Meredith would be able to sleep in their bedroom tonight, and he wasn't going to make her think that he couldn't put a bed together. He'd show her he was right.

XXXX

"Okay, Derek, seriously, I just want to go to bed," Meredith called as she climbed the uncarpeted stairs of their house. "And it's really creepy in here with all the construction lights, so can you just give it…up…" her voice trailed off as she saw Derek standing in the door of their bedroom, a warm glow coming from inside. "Oh," she breathed.

Derek smiled as he took a step closer to her. "I believe it's custom for me to carry my bride over the threshold of our bedroom," he said as he gathered her into his arms in one sweep.

"Derek," she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Is everything really done?" she asked.

"It's all done," Derek replied, easing the door open with his foot. "Tell me what you think."

Meredith gasped softly as she looked around the room. "Derek, it's perfect," she whispered, burying her face in his shoulder.

The walls were painted light blue, with a darker shade of carpet covering the floor. The wooden four poster bed stood opposite the door, the blankets already pulled back. Their dressers flanked the balcony doors to their right, their closets on the wall opposite their bed. The door to their ensuite bathroom was open, and she could see soft candlelight coming from inside. "Thank you," she whispered as he let her stand on her own feet.

"You like it?" he asked, reaching for her hand.

"I love it," she replied. "The rest of the house is a mess, but…I'm so glad this is done."

"Me too," he whispered, leading her into the bathroom. "I drew you a bath."

"Just me?" she pouted, turning to look at him as she ran a hand over his chest. "I'd be so lonely in here by myself…"

Derek swallowed hard. "I might be persuaded to join you," he replied. "If you want."

"Oh, I want," Meredith smiled, pulling him closer to press her lips against his firmly.

XXXXXX

Meredith woke slowly and lazily the next morning, smiling as she realized that she was in her bedroom, the bedroom she and Derek would share forever. She turned to wrap her arms around Derek, but frowned when she realized the reason that she had woken.

There were hammers and voices coming from downstairs, disrupting her first real night's sleep in a long time. She turned her head up to see Derek smiling down at her with warm eyes.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take them to wake you up," he said with a smirk.

"Shut up," Meredith sighed, cuddling closer to him. "Do you have to work today?"

"My shift starts at ten," he replied. "And you're off."

"I'm off," she smiled happily. "Two whole weeks."

"Hmm," he sighed, tightening his arms around her. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you. Maybe I should have started out as something else and moved to med school ten years later so we could be interns together."

She laughed. "Certainly not as a carpenter," she said.

He rolled his eyes. "You're not going to let me forget that are you?" he asked.

"Nope," Meredith replied. "In fact, I think I might put the video of you tripping over the stairs and our mattress kicking your's and Mark's ass on DVD. Our kids will love to see Daddy losing to a mattress."

"You will not show that to our children," Derek replied. "Now, if you want to show them a video of me doing a craniotomy, I'd be okay with that."

"Umm…I think I like the mattress better," she giggled, pressing her lips to his before rolling out of bed and reaching for her robe. "I guess I should start bringing stuff over from the trailer today."

"We can't use the kitchen til the end of the week anyways, so we have to go the trailer to eat," Derek replied. "We can just move stuff over slowly."

Meredith nodded as she reached for the jeans she had worn the day before. "I'm guessing that you want me to bring at least some clothes over so that I don't have to walk by all those construction workers naked," she said with a smirk as she pulled her sweater over her head.

"Well…you're right about that," he said. "Those goods are for my eyes only."

She rolled her eyes as she reached for the doorknob. "You're such a caveman," she said. "I'm going to change. Come down soon so you can make me breakfast."

Derek shook his head as he moved to get out of bed, reaching for his own jeans. He was whipped and he knew it, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Besides, if he didn't make breakfast for Meredith, she would probably burn the trailer down and they'd lose everything before they could move it.

He walked into the trailer fifteen minutes later to find Meredith standing suspiciously close to a lit stove, her lower lip caught between her teeth. Cautiously, he closed the door behind him and took a step towards her. "What are you doing, Mer?" he asked, not sure whether he actually wanted to know the answer.

"I was hungry," she replied defensively. "So I started to make pancakes. I mixed everything and turned the stove on, but…it's not pouring."

"Let me see," Derek sighed. He moved to look into her bowl to find the mixture thicker than bread dough. "What the hell did you put in here?"

"Flour and water and eggs," she said defensively.

"Okay…how much flour?"

"Three cups?"

"_Three _cups?" Derek exclaimed. "Mer, you need about a half a cup for this amount of pancakes."

"Oh," she said. "Right. Okay. Well, then, you can finish these, and I'll start packing."

He rolled his eyes as he moved to take the bowl from her. "Someday I will teach you to cook," he replied. "I'll make that my life goal."

"Right," Meredith replied as she shoved an armful of jeans into a box. "So I talked to Dan on my way down here. He said that they're probably going to finish putting the finish on the cabinets in the kitchen tomorrow, and then it will be done. Next is the living room."

Derek sighed. "People think we're crazy for doing this," he said. "Moving in before everything is done."

"I'd say that you and Mark could help speed the process up," Meredith said with a giggle. "But, well, I think it would have the opposite effect."

Derek scowled as he poured the pancake batter onto the pan. "Do you want your pancakes?" he asked. "Because I'm seriously considering giving them to some homeless people on my way to work."

"Aw," Meredith sighed, moving to wrap his arms around his waist and rest her chin on his shoulder. "You wouldn't do that to your poor, starving wife."

"My poor starving wife is mocking me," Derek replied. "And somehow, I think she managed to eat for thirty three years before she met me."

"Trust me, you don't want to know how I got my meals before you," she whispered seductively as she reached eagerly for the plate of pancakes he had just set down on the counter.

Derek opened his mouth to question exactly what she meant when the sound of a pager beeping echoed through the trailer. "Damn," he muttered under his breath. "I've got to go." He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. "Stick with moving stuff, okay? Just…keep the pancake batter in the fridge."

She rolled her eyes as she shoved a bite of pancakes in her mouth. "Go to work," she ordered around her food.

"I am," he laughed. "Love you."


	35. Chapter 35

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"Mer?" Derek called later that afternoon as he entered the trailer, frowning when he saw it was empty. Her car was outside, which meant that she was home, so she must be at the house. He shook his head slightly, hoping that she was at least being careful. She had a tendency to not pay very much attention to anything she did, and with all the construction going on he couldn't help but worry that she would trip over something and hurt herself.

He slowly made his way up to the trailer, groaning internally as he realized that the workers were still there. It was a good thing, he knew, that the people they had hired were so determined to work on the house. But that didn't mean he was annoyed that he wouldn't be able to spend time alone with his wife.

He walked through the open front door and made his way to the kitchen where the activity had taken place for the past few weeks. "Mer?" he asked, stopping short when he entered. It was perfect. Completely finished, the hardwood floors gleaming in the soft sunlight streaming in from the large picture window over the sink. He glanced around in astonishment, noticing the table they had picked out sitting across from the island in the middle of the room, all six chairs tucked neatly around it. After a moment, he snapped out of his astonished daze at the sound of his wife's giggle. Slowly, he made his way to the living room where he rolled his eyes.

Meredith was standing on a ladder, paintbrush in hand as she and two other painters danced to the music of Duran Duran coming from the small boom box sitting in the corner of the room. He leaned against the doorframe, unnoticed as she sang along softly and ran the paintbrush along the wall in time with the music. At that moment in time, he felt himself fall even more in love with the woman he still couldn't believe he was lucky enough to call his wife.

"I think you missed a spot," he finally said.

"Der," Meredith said with a smile as her head whipped around to look at him. "You're home," she smiled as she put the brush down and climbed down the ladder.

"I'm home," he replied.

"You know what the best part of you being home is?" she asked as she moved closer to his.

His eyes glazed over into the McDreamy look. "What?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"The fact that you're leaning against wet paint," Meredith whispered in his ear before dissolving into a fit of giggles as he looked down at his left arm that was now covered in a fine sheet of paint.

"Damn it," he muttered, shrugging out of his jacket. "That's not going to come out, is it?"

Meredith shrugged as she took his hand. "We can take it to the laundry room," she replied. "Because we finished the laundry room today."

"We?" Derek asked as she pulled him through the kitchen.

"Yeah," Meredith replied as she opened a door in the corner of the kitchen to reveal the small laundry room. "I was bored, so I helped with the house. The delivery people dropped off the table and washer and dryer, and then we started painting the living room. Apparently I was a painter in a previous life."

Derek smiled as he pulled her close. "You look cute as a painter," he said, taking in the paint chips in her hair and the small streak on her left cheek. "Maybe you should change careers."

"I don't think so," Meredith shook her head. "I have to make sure that no other interns will sweep you off your feet."

Derek pressed a kiss to her lips before leaning forward to hug her tightly. "There was only one intern," he replied. "And now…I don't play favorites with my interns."

"Just your residents," Meredith smiled as she pulled out of his arms. "You can make dinner in our kitchen," she announced as they walked out of the laundry room.

"Mmm," Derek agreed, looking around the kitchen again. "I can't believe how quickly it's coming together."

"Right," Meredith rolled her eyes. "There's two rooms done, Der. We still have to do the living room, the play room, the office, the other bedrooms upstairs, the attic, and the basement, and the halls. It's going to take forever."

"Well…okay, maybe you're right," he said. "But the fact that we can eat here and sleep in our room…it's progress."

"Sure," Meredith replied. "How was the hospital?"

"Quiet," Derek replied. "I forgot what it was like to work with people who don't cut LVAD wires and sleep with each other when they should be working."

Meredith narrowed her eyes at him. "Is that a hint?" she asked. "Because I could totally arrange it so you never have sex at work again."

"No," Derek said quickly. "I was talking about…other people. Not you. Definitely not you. You have full permission to sex me at work whenever you want."

She laughed as she pushed him towards the fridge. "Maybe I'll sex you in our new kitchen if you make me dinner," she offered.

"Well, I could never refuse an offer like that," Derek said, pressing his lips against hers. "What do you want?"

"Mmm…lasagna?" she suggested. "The kind your mom makes."

"Coming right up," Derek replied. He rolled his eyes when he heard a loud bang come from the living room, followed by cursing. "Why don't you go kick our wonderful painters out so we can be alone?"

She giggled as she hopped off the counter and walked towards the door. "Der?" she asked, pausing in the doorframe.

"Hmm?" he asked, placing a pot of water on the new stove.

"I love you."

He looked up, his eyes sparkling as he grinned at her. "I love you too."

XXXXX

Meredith rolled over in bed and smiled softly at the man lying next to her. Derek had come home from surgery the night before on a complete high, and insisted on celebrating his success and her new role as a Seattle Grace resident. It was, after all, the night before she started her new job, and exactly a year ago they had met at Joe's. She had been surprised, but completely willing to comply to his multiple requests for sex, and now she was awake, completely satisfied with her life. She was about to go back to work with her first day as a resident, and had had the perfect night with her husband the night before.

The past two weeks had been fun, but she was definitely ready to go back to work. She'd learned a lot about how her house was coming together, and today the office was going to be started. The living room was now complete, and Derek had made sure that they'd christened it twice the night before.

"Der," she whispered, wrapping an arm around his waist and tugging slightly on his earlobe with her teeth. "It's time to wake up."

"Don't wanna," he replied, reaching for her hand and squeezing tightly. "Go back to sleep."

"We have to work," Meredith replied. "And if we wake up now, we have enough time for sex in the shower."

Derek sighed as he turned onto his back, looking up at her through lazy eyes. "Mmm…Morning," he whispered.

"Morning," she replied, leaning down to press her lips against his. "I'm going to get in the shower. When you decide what's more important…sleep or sex…let me know."

"Oh, I've already decided," Derek replied as he leaned back against his pillows, hands behind his head as he watched her move out of bed, still completely naked.

"Are you going to do anything about it?" she asked seductively as she leaned against the bathroom door.

He swallowed hard and followed her gaze to the tenting beneath the sheet that was covering his body. "I think…the bendy thing you love so much would work very well in this new shower."

Meredith flashed him a saucy smile as she walked into the bathroom. A moment later, Derek ran in behind her and scooped her into his arms, carrying her to the shower as she laughed loudly.

Half an hour later, they walked out of the bathroom, both wrapped in towels as they reluctantly began to get dressed for work.

"Der?" Meredith asked as she reached for a pair of jeans and pulled them on.

"Yeah?" he asked, slipping his button down over his shoulders.

"You're an attending," Meredith replied. "So you saw the list of interns and their residents, right?"

"I did," he replied cautiously. "But Mer…"

"I know," she replied quickly. "I know that you can't really tell me who my interns are or anything. I just…my sister or non sister or whatever she is…she's an intern. And I'm not sure if I could handle having her around me all the time."

A look of realization crossed over Derek's face and he stepped forward to take Meredith's face in her hands. "You don't have to worry about that," he said, looking at her closely.

"Oh," Meredith breathed, nodding quickly. "Good. That's good. Thanks."

Derek pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "You're welcome," he replied. "Now, are you ready to go?"

Meredith pulled her sweater of her head quickly and reached for a ponytail holder. "Yeah," she said. "We can drive in together?"

"We can," Derek nodded as he followed her carefully down the stairs. "Because your shifts will be less crazy now."

"No more forty eight hour shifts," Meredith breathed in relief. "And spending the night once every two weeks instead of once a week."

Derek laughed as he started the car. "It's funny that you're excited about that schedule," he said. "I'm pretty sure I would hate going back to my residency hours."

Meredith scowled at him. "Shut up," she ordered. "Not all of us were perfect children who knew what we wanted to do by the time we were three."

Derek shrugged. "It's a Shepherd thing," he replied. "I figure our kids will know it by the time they're born."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "You can't guarantee that, Derek," she said. "What happens if our kids decide to be…a fashion expert or something?"

"With us as parents?" Derek asked doubtfully. "Mer, neither one of us are exactly fashion plates."

"It's not genetic, Derek," she replied. "Just…you'll still love them won't you? Even if they're not like you and have friends and know how to manage their hair in high school?"

"Well, that felt good," Derek replied. "I'm glad to know that's what you see in me. And yes, Mer, I'll love them no matter what."

"Good," she replied, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair. "And I'm just kidding. I love your hair."

"I know you do."

"And Mom…she promised that when we finally go to New York she'd show me your book," Meredith said. "Whatever that means, but your sisters seemed to think that it was necessary for me to see."

Derek rolled his eyes. "My mom kept a book for all of us," he said. "Pictures, report cards, sports games…stuff like that. She seems to think that every time another spouse is added to the family, it's time the books came out."

"Aw, I bet you were cute," Meredith replied. "I mean, it was the seventies, so your afro probably fit right in."

"I hate you," Derek grumbled under his breath as he pulled onto the ferryboat.

"Aww," Meredith giggled. "You can't hate me. After the way you moaned in the shower this morning…I'm pretty sure that gives you full permission to never hate me."

"Fine," Derek replied, his voice low. "You're right. No one else can make me feel the way you do."

"Good," Meredith replied, reaching for the door handle, surprised when she felt Derek reach over to stop her. "Derek, what…" she breathed, her skin automatically heating at the sight of his eyes, dark with passion and his heavy breathing. "What are you doing?" she finally managed to ask breathlessly.

"We've never done it on the ferryboat," he growled. "I want you, Mer. Right now."

"Oh," Meredith breathed, slightly shocked. After a moment, her lips curled upwards into a seductive smile as she nodded. "You've been quite horny these past couple days, Dr. Shepherd," she said. She opened her door and asked, "Can you help me look for my glove? I lost it, and I think it might be under one of the seats."

Derek was out of the driver's seat and into the back in a flash, pulling Meredith into the somewhat more private backseat with the tinted windows. She giggled as she pushed the seat back and climbed on to straddle him, nibbling gently on the skin behind his earlobe. "You better hang on," she whispered huskily in his ear. "This is going to be the ride of your life."

"Oh, God," Derek moaned, already feeling himself get lost in the sensation that was uniquely his wife. It was going to be a good day, he could tell.


	36. Chapter 36

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Derek smiled widely as he walked out of his office a couple hours later. He'd had a great morning, and after they had arrived at the hospital he and Meredith had parted ways to get ready for the day. Now he was ready to get to work and meet some interns, perhaps even scrub in with his wife later on. He was in a good mood, and he didn't think anything could bring him down.

He passed by the familiar office on his left, frowning as he noticed the missing nameplate. He thought for a moment, trying to remember when he'd last spoken with Addison, but he couldn't come up with anything. While Meredith had been at work, he'd tended to spend the majority of his time in his office unless he was rounding or in the OR. But now he couldn't believe that Addison would have left the hospital without saying anything to him.

"Mark," he noticed his friend approaching, a scowl on his face. "Did Addie leave?"

"No," Mark snapped. "God, that would almost have been better."

"Her name's gone," Derek frowned. "What the hell is going on?"

"Let's just say that when you got divorced, that didn't mean that you never have to answer to Addison again," Mark sighed, running a hand over his face.

Derek stared for a moment before realization dawned on him and he shook his head. "No," he said.

"You got it," Mark replied. "She's talking to the interns now."

"Oh God," Derek said, pressing his head into his hands. "When the hell did my life become this messy?"

"You have to admit she's going to do a good job," Mark offered.

"My ex-wife is now my boss," Derek snapped. "And my wife's boss. Mer's going to freak out."

Mark smirked slightly. "You really are going to lose your manhood," he said. "With Addie bossing you around here and Grey at home…there will be nothing left."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Let's go," he said. "This is going to be a bad day for Mer. I have to find her."

He and Mark rounded the corner to the nurse's station to see Meredith and Christina huddled together, both of them clutching papers tightly in their hands. When Meredith saw him, she walked over to him quickly, thrusting the paper into his face.

"Do you want to explain what the hell this is?" she hissed.

"Um…" Derek started. "I'm guessing that it has something to do with the chief retiring?"

"Yes," Meredith replied. "And I get into work, into my fancy new locker room on the first day after being promoted, and find a memo saying that my husband's ex-wife is now the boss of my entire department. You know what's interesting about this, Derek?"

"No, but I'm guessing you're going to tell me."

"Now is not the time to be cute," she snapped. "What's interesting about this situation is the fact that you have been working here for two weeks and you didn't hear a single word about the chief's replacement?"

"The word just came out today, Mer," he said. "I swear, if I had known about this, I would have told you. I would have _needed _to tell you."

Meredith looked at him for a moment, her eyes still angry but slightly softer than they had been. "Is she going to make my life hell?" she asked. "Because I did kind of steal you from her."

"Mer," Derek said, shaking his head softly. "Addison let go of that a long time ago. If she's going to make one of us miserable, it's probably going to be me."

Meredith stared at him for another long moment before she said, "Good. You deserve it."

Derek frowned as he watched her walk back to Christina who was flipping through a pile of papers. "Intern assignments," she said. "I got the mini Grey."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she reached for her own packet. "Do me a favor and put her on scut for the first month," she said.

"Done," Christina replied, rolling her eyes as she saw the large group of scared young doctors approaching them. "Grey, Hanson, Carter and McGee, you're with me. We're working on neuron with Shepherd today. Let's move it people."

Derek glanced at Meredith as she leaned against the nurse's station, trying to look at Lexie while pretending to read her notes. He swallowed hard, hoping that she wasn't going to morph back into the old Meredith who had avoided anything anytime it got even remotely scary. He loved the new, confident Meredith, and he didn't want to see her disappear just because her half-sister was now present.

"Mer," he said softly, resting a hand on her hip as he ducked his head close to hers. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she replied. "Or no. But I can't talk about it now. I promise I'm not avoiding, I just…I can't do this now. I have to work and train interns. But tonight…wine and talking?"

He smiled softly. "Talking and then wine," he replied softly. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered. "You have to go."

Derek sighed as he gave her hand one final squeeze before he turned to catch up to Christina and her interns. He found them a few moments later, already rounding on their patients. Christina was talking when he entered the room, so he leaned against the doorframe and examined Lexie closely.

Now that he knew she was a Grey, he could see the similarities she had to his wife. She listened intently to Christina, her face concentrating hard. And he couldn't help but notice the way she bit her bottom lip as Christina explained to complicated procedure in a gesture that was purely Meredith. And he remembered the way she had rambled the month before had almost outdid Meredith at her best.

There were differences though. Lexie was…different. Her hair didn't have the same waves as Meredith, her smile didn't light up the room the way his wife's did. He hadn't heard her laugh, but he was sure that it would be nowhere near as wonderful a melody to his ears as Meredith's soft giggle. He knew Meredith was going to start freaking out about Lexie being the better version of her soon, so he had to make sure he had enough specifics to calm her freak out.

"Dr. Shepherd?" Christina prompted. "Do you want to say anything?"

"Oh, um…" Derek cleared his throat and pushed himself off the wall, running a hand through his hair. "This is a fairly routine procedure. As you may or may not know, it's customary for the intern showing the most promise to scrub in on a simple procedure. Mr. Diaz's craniotomy certainly qualifies. We're scheduled in the OR for first thing tomorrow, and I'll speak with Dr. Yang to decide which one of you will have the opportunity."

"So don't piss me off," Christina added.

Derek shot her a look before he said, "If you have any questions, ask myself or Dr. Yang. Otherwise, I suggest you do whatever she asks you and study as much as you can about the surgery when you get the chance. I'll see one of you in the OR tomorrow morning."

He could hear Christina barking out orders as he turned to walk out of the room, and a moment later he heard his name being called. He looked up from his cell phone and turned to see Lexie staring at him expectantly.

"Dr. Grey." The words felt unnatural addressing anyone other than Meredith.

"I just…I wanted to apologize. For that night. I know I shouldn't have been…whatever with you, but you're my boss now, so I just wanted to apologize again," Lexie said nervously.

"Don't worry about it," Derek replied, turning as he looked down at his cell phone again.

"I was also wondering if you could help me with something."

Derek took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pockets. "Dr. Grey, I have a job to do," he said. "And so do you."

"I know," Lexie replied. "I just…do you know Meredith Grey? Because she works here. Or I thought she did, but when I looked at the list of doctors she wasn't on there, which was weird. So I just…do you know if she still works here? Or did she transfer. We're…I'm not sure what we are, but I was looking forward to meeting her and working with her…" she stopped herself and Derek let out a soft sigh of relief as the sound of her pager cut into her rambling. "I have to go," she said quickly, turning to walk away from him without another comment to their previous conversation.

Derek felt himself sink against the wall, wondering how the hell he was going to get through this day. He was going to have to get Meredith to talk to Lexie, and soon, because he did not want to be caught as the messenger between the two sisters, especially since he should be supporting Meredith and not shooting messages between the two of them like they were in high school.

"Well, you look happy," a voice cut into his own internal rambling, and he winced before he turned to see Addison staring at him with a smirk on her face.

He cracked a small smile as he looked at her. "Do I have to call you Chief now?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not going to say no…" Addison said with a smile.

"Congratulations, Addie," Derek said. "You deserve it. Out of all of us, you're the one that deserves it the best."

"Thanks, Derek," Addison said. "I hope I'll do a good job."

"You will," Derek nodded. Then he smirked and said, "You could always ask Mark for help."

"God, no," Addison rolled her eyes. She paused for a moment before she said, "Meredith's sister is an intern."

"I know," he groaned. "And I appreciate the fact that she wasn't put on Mer's service."

"That was Richard," Addison replied. "But we can't keep them apart forever, Derek."

"I know," Derek nodded. "Mer knows who she is. It's just…hard for her. She didn't even know she had a sister a year ago. And now she's working with the woman she thinks is a better version of herself."

Addison shook her head as she patted his shoulder. "That's all you," she replied. "Don't let it mess up my surgery wing."

Derek laughed. "I think you're getting the hang of this chief thing quicker than you thought," he said.

"Thanks," she sighed. "Just…don't let the same thing that happened last year happen again, okay?"

Derek narrowed his eyes. "You mean the love triangle?" he asked. "Cause Lexie is not Meredith. And I'm not going to fall in love with anyone that's not Meredith."

Addison rolled her eyes. "I know that," she replied. "Anyone who sees the two of you together for more than two seconds knows that. Just don't let my department turn into a high school again."


	37. Chapter 37

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The ride home was completely silent. Meredith hadn't said a single word to him since she'd uttered a completely tired "hey" in the lobby when they'd met to go home. No matter how hard he tried to get her to smile or laugh, all he got in response was a non committal head nod or shrug. Her hand had remained clasped tightly in his for the entire ride, as if she was afraid of letting him go. Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, wondering how the hell he could deal with this.

"Mer," he said softly as he pulled up in front of the house. "Talk to me."

"I'm fine, Derek," she groaned as she opened her car door and stood. "Let's just…eat dinner and watch a movie or something."

"No," Derek said as he slammed his own door shut and strode over to her side of the car. "Mer, you said you wanted to talk."

"And now I don't," Meredith snapped, yanking her arm out of his grasp. "Drop it."

"I'm not going to drop it," Derek said as he followed her into the house.

"Then you can sleep in the trailer," Meredith snapped as she opened the door. "I can't do this right now, Derek. I'm exhausted, and I'm pretty sure I just had the most emotional day in the history of the world, so if you can't understand that, I don't want to be around you right now. Because you're all perfect and dreamy, and I can't deal with that right now."

"You can't make me sleep in the trailer," Derek argued.

"Watch me," Meredith replied as she slammed the door shut and turned the lock violently a moment later.

"Mer," he sighed, climbing up the steps and knocking on the door. "Come on, you're being ridiculous. I don't even know why you're mad at me."

There was no answer from inside, and Derek immediately cursed himself for leaving his keys in his office. Of course, he hadn't expected to be locked out of the house, so he couldn't really blame himself for Meredith's apparent insaneness.

He walked around the porch to the kitchen, hoping that they had left the door unlocked or that Meredith would be in there, but he wasn't that lucky. After the same experiment at the living room door, Derek ran his hands through his hair before he moved grudgingly towards the trailer. As he let himself into the empty and cold trailer, he played his entire day back to himself in his head, trying to figure out exactly what he had done to deserve being locked out of his house. He couldn't think of a single thing, and he was at a loss as to how he could get through to his stubborn wife.

He collapsed on the bed without bothering to shed his clothes and pulled Meredith's pillow close. The trailer had somehow taken on the soft smell of lavender so much, and he smiled softly at the thought. He could remember how, after the bomb, and Meredith had told him about her lavender conditioner, he had bought lavender air fresheners for the trailer. Addison had been pleased, probably because she thought he was taking some effort to make the trailer more like a real home, when in actuality it had been the only way he was able to get through the lonely nights without Meredith.

Now, as he lay alone in the trailer, he couldn't help but feel completely alone again. Maybe if he had known why Meredith had suddenly taken everything out on him he would be able to feel a little better about being here, but as far as he could tell, he had been completely supportive of her recent discovery of working alongside her sister.

With a frustrated sigh, he flopped onto his back and stared at the stars through the skylight. He sure as hell wasn't going to be able to sleep without Meredith in his arms. He could do okay when one of them was on call, but when she was so miserable and refused to let him in…he couldn't help but be terrified that she would run from him. They were married, and he knew that she loved him, but Meredith ran. He had used to run too, but now the thought of leaving Meredith terrified him more than anything in the world.

Suddenly, the sound of the door slamming open interrupted the deafening silence that had encompassed the trailer. "Mer?" he asked, sitting up quickly. He felt his heart break as his wife stood before him, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Mer. Come here."

Meredith was in his arms in a flash, burying her face in his neck. "I'm sorry," she whispered as tears flowed down her face. "I'm sorry, Derek."

"Shh," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. "It's okay." He rocked her gently for a long time, letting her cry out her frustrations, and after a few minutes, she finally pulled back and looked up at him, running the back of her hand over her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "You didn't deserve to be locked out."

Derek smiled softly as he reached out to cup her cheek. "It's okay," he said softly. "But Mer…what the hell is going on with you?"

She sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I don't know," she whispered. "I guess…Lexie is working at the hospital, and she's me, except a better me because she doesn't have the obvious mommy and daddy issues, so maybe you'll decide you want her. Because I know you love me, Derek, but you can't love all the dark and twistiness. So you'd probably prefer to be with Lexie who's me without the issues. I know you were trying to help, but I just thought…that maybe if I made you mad you would just…decide to leave because I was being a bitch. But then I was sitting in our room, and I realized that I can't. I can't do this without you, Derek, I need you. I hate that I need you, but I do."

"Meredith," Derek breathed. "Oh, Mer, that will never ever happen. I love _you. _Not Lexie. And she's not the better version of you. I love you, and I love your dark and twistiness. I hate that you went through that, but it's what made you who you are. And I wouldn't change a thing about you."

Meredith raised her head to look at him, her eyes wide and doubtful. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," Derek replied, looking at her carefully. "Meredith, I can't imagine my life without you. I was just lying here trying to figure out what the hell I did wrong so I could fix it so I was scared out of my mind that you wanted me to leave."

"So you don't care that I'm all needy and girly?" she whispered.

Derek smiled slightly as he leaned forward to kiss her gently. "Meredith," he said. "I need you too. There's nothing wrong with that. We're married, and I will never ever leave you. You have to believe that, Mer. You can't shut me out every time you're upset because you're afraid that I'm going to leave. I'm not going to, and it's my job to help you. Okay?"

Meredith nodded softly, her eyes still puffy with tears. "I'm sorry I made you sleep in the trailer," she whispered.

Derek pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's okay," he said, squeezing her tightly. "I guess this is your equivalent of making me sleep on the couch, right?"

"No," Meredith replied. "You can't sleep in the trailer. Or on the couch."

"I can't?"

"No. You have to sleep in our bed. With me. Because I'm completely lame and pathetic and I can't even fall asleep without you in our bed anymore," Meredith replied, her old self slowly coming out as she rolled her eyes.

Derek laughed. "Well, that's good to know," he said. "Because I was just sitting out here trying to figure out how the hell to sleep in here without you."

Meredith sighed as she rested her head on his chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "This is about me, I shouldn't have gotten you involved."

"Of course you should have," Derek replied. "I'm your husband, Mer, anything that's about you is about me to."

"Okay, maybe, but I shouldn't have gotten mad at you," she replied. "It's not fair that I took out all my daddy issues on you."

"I'll give you that," Derek replied.

"I just don't know what to do," Meredith whispered into his chest.

Derek was silent for a moment, soaking in the feeling of his wife gathered firmly in his arms, her silky hair between his fingers as he ran his fingers through it. "You could try talking to her," he suggested gently. "I know it's hard, Mer, but…she's going to be around for awhile, and we're certainly not going anywhere. So you could just talk to her."

Meredith sighed. "I know I should," she said. "I just…it's hard, Derek."

"I know," Derek replied. "But I'm here for you. She doesn't even know that you're her sister, Mer. She asked me if I knew who Meredith Grey was, so she obviously doesn't know that it's you. Just talk to her, Mer, not even as her sister, as her co worker. I don't think she's a horrible person."

"I know she's not," Meredith replied. "And you're probably right. I need to be the…big sister or whatever."

Derek smiled. "Whenever you're ready, Mer," he said softly. "I'm here no matter what."

"I know," Meredith whispered. "Thank you, Derek."

"It's my job," he whispered, pressing his lips against her forehead as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.


	38. Chapter 38

Meredith lingered in the doorway of the nurse's station, watching as Lexie wrote on a chart at the counter. She knew it was a little creepy that she was just standing there watching her sister, but at that moment she didn't care. She just needed to warm up to the idea of having a sister, so maybe if she just watched her for a few minutes, she would find a way to approach Lexie without too much rambling or awkwardness.

As Lexie looked up from her scribbling, she caught Meredith's eye and frowned slightly. "Dr. Shepherd?" she asked. "Um, do you need something?"

Meredith blinked quickly and shook her head, then stepped closer to the counter. "I um… Dr. Grey, whose service are you on today?" she asked.

"Dr. Sloan," Lexie replied. "Although, I'm during more errands for him than I am rounding on patients."

Meredith nodded. "Right," she said. "Well, you've just been reassigned to the other Dr. Shepherd's service. We have a patient with a subdural hemotoma. What will it be? Errands or surgery?"

Lexie stared at her for a moment. "Are you sure?" she breathed. "Dr. Yang assigned me to Dr. Sloan, and I don't really want to disobey what she wants…"

"I'll take it up with Dr. Yang," Meredith replied. "Take this chart and read up on the patient history. The surgery is at four."

"Thank you," Lexie breathed as she took the chart from Meredith's hands. "Dr. Shepherd…thank you."

"You're welcome," Meredith replied. "I'll see you in the OR."

"Okay," Lexie said, a gleam of excitement in her eye before she turned to hurry towards the study rooms.

Meredith sighed as she watched Lexie walk away, knowing that she had potentially gotten herself into deep trouble but not really caring. Derek would understand. He'd told her it was okay to get to know her sister as a coworker first, and that's what she was doing, so he would definitely understand.

"Hey," Christina said as she came up to the nurse's station and dropped a pile of charts on the counter. "What are you on today? Because I'm on cardio with Callie and let me tell you…that girl is crazy."

Meredith turned to look at Christina with wide, pleading eyes. "I need a favor," she said.

Christina was taken aback for a moment at Meredith's abrupt request, but she nodded slightly. "Okay," she said. "Does this favor include an alibi? Cause I'm not sure I'm willing to do that unless it's to cover up for getting rid of my interns…"

"Christina," Meredith interrupted. "I put Lexie on Derek's service."

Christina frowned. "Why?" she asked. "I already had number three on his service. He doesn't need two of my interns, if anything he should be taking one of your interns…"

"He doesn't know," Meredith replied. "Please…Christina, I need this."

Christina looked at Meredith carefully for a moment, trying to understand the desperation she saw in her best friend's eyes. "Is this about her being your sister?" she asked. "Because she doesn't even know it's you, Mer."

"I know," Meredith replied. "I know…I just need to know about her. I need to get to know her before I can really commit to being her sister."

Christina sighed. "Fine," she replied. "Just don't make her look bad. Because when she looks bad, I look bad. And that's not good for you."

Meredith smiled softly. "Thank you," she replied. Now all she had to do was hope that Derek and Mark wouldn't cross paths about their intern until after the surgery was over.

XXXXX

"Dr. Shepherd," Derek said, a smirk evident from behind his mask as he looked at Meredith over the head of their patient. "Would you like to open?"

Meredith stared at him for a moment before she nodded and stepped forward. "Thank you, Dr. Shepherd," she said.

"You deserve it," Derek replied as he stepped back to watch his wife expose their patient's brain to the sterilized environment of the OR. After a moment, he stepped forward to begin the procedure, his eyes on Lexie.

"Dr. Grey," he stated conversationally. "Do you have an interest in neurosurgery?"

"Oh, um…" Lexie stammered, taken off guard. "Definitely. When I was younger, I always used to play doctor with my sister. One time I convinced her it was okay to jump off the couch and purposely hit her head on the coffee table because I could fix her. My dad wasn't too happy with me when he had to rush her to the ER for stitches."

Derek glanced at Meredith, gauging her reaction to Lexie's ramble. She was staring at the brain in front of her, so stotic that even he couldn't notice any emotion on the face that he could usually read so well.

Before the conversation could move forward any further, the door to the OR burst open and Mark stormed in. "Shepherd!" he yelled, obviously angry.

"Mark, I'm in the middle of surgery," Derek snapped. "Whatever it is, it can wait."

"Not you," Mark replied. "The other Shepherd. I want to know why the hell she stole my intern, and now my patients haven't been rounded on in hours. Thanks to her, I have a patient whose face will no longer be reconstructed after smashing it in a car accident because there was no intern to monitor him when he crashed. Then I find out your wife moved Grey to her own service without finding another intern to round on her patients. So I have the damn right to come in here and find out what the hell is going on."

Derek blinked for a moment before he turned to look at Meredith. "Dr. Shepherd?" he asked. "Is this true?"

Meredith cleared her throat and said, "Well, I just thought that…Dr. Grey hasn't had a chance to scrub in on neuro yet, and I talked to Dr. Yang who allowed her to switch."

"That's not what this is about, and you know it," Mark snapped.

"What's going on?" Lexie asked, unsure of how she had somehow ended up as the middle of the argument between her bosses.

"Alright," Derek sighed, taking his glasses off. "I'm going to page Gilman to finish. Dr. Grey, Dr. Shepherd, we need to talk."

Meredith swallowed hard as she and Lexie followed Derek out of the OR, knowing that this could be bad. He was completely silent as they scrubbed out, and she felt her heart twist as he refused to meet her gaze.

Ten minutes later, the four of them were enclosed in Derek's office, Derek sitting behind his desk while Meredith and Lexie sat in the two chairs in front of him, Mark pacing the small area. "What the hell is going on here?" Derek finally asked.

"What's going on is that your wife is too damn scared of her sister to talk to her," Mark snapped. "So she stole her from my service."

"Mark," Derek warned as Lexie gasped and Meredith buried her face in her hands.

"Sister?" Lexie asked, turning to Meredith. "You're Meredith Grey?"

Meredith looked towards Derek in a panic, but felt sick to her stomach at the expression of disappointment and confusion she saw there. "Der…" she whispered.

"Dr. Shepherd," he said evenly. "Did you take Dr. Grey off of Dr. Sloan's service without consulting him?"

"Yes," Meredith replied. "But, Derek, you understand…"

"What I understand," Derek interrupted. "Is that Dr. Sloan's patient had a seizure this morning and now can't have surgery because you stole his intern. You're responsible for that."

Meredith was silent as she bit her lower lip, trying to bite back her tears. "I'm sorry," she finally whispered.

"Which one of us are you apologizing to?" Mark snapped. "Because I'm pretty sure you owe all of us a huge apology. As well as the man who will no longer have a normal life because his breathing channel is no longer operable."

"Mark, don't," Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I just…I'm sorry," Meredith whispered before she turned to run out of the room. Lexie stared after her for a moment before she turned to Derek and said, "You knew. I asked you if you knew who my sister was, and you said no, but you knew it was your wife."

"Dr. Grey," Derek sighed. "You did nothing wrong here. You can leave. Find Dr. Yang and ask her for another assignment. And make sure you stay on it."

"Fine," Lexie replied, standing and storming out of the room, much as her sister had done moments earlier.

"Jesus," Mark dropped onto the couch and draped an arm over his eyes. "what the hell was she thinking?"

"She shouldn't have done it," Derek replied. "But…Mer just can't be a sister. She wants to get to know Lexie, and she didn't think she was doing anything wrong."

"She stole my intern," Mark replied.

"And she was wrong," Derek replied. "I'm sorry about your patient, and I'm going to make sure Mer gets the punishment she deserves."

Mark looked at Derek for a moment, seeing the mixture of stress, pain, and disappointment on his face. "This is killing you," he stated.

Derek sighed. "I just hate when I have to punish her," he said. "It's fund to work with her, but when I have to be her boss instead of her husband…it's bad."

"She was wrong though," Mark insisted.

"I know she was," Derek replied. "And I'm still angry with her. That doesn't mean I stopped loving her though."

Mark stood and walked towards the door. "Good luck, Shep," he sighed. "I have to make sure none of my other patients are getting killed."

Derek sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Tonight was going to be hell, he knew that much, but he couldn't just let her get away with actions like that. He was still her boss, and he had done the right thing to take care of it himself instead of sending her to Addison. He knew she was going to be upset, but he had been doing what he had to do. They would get through this, he had to believe that they would get through this.

XXXXX

Meredith sat in the locker room, fully changed to go home, staring at the wall as she clutched the strap of her purse tightly in her hands. She knew she had to leave, she knew that she couldn't hide in the hospital forever. Especially when her stupid husband was obsessed with trapping people in elevators and making them talk.

But she wasn't sure she could handle Derek right now. He had been so upset with her. She knew that he had good reason to be, and that she had been wrong to take Lexie off Mark's service without permission. She deserved to be punished. But this was the first time since her first month as a doctor that Derek had been this angry with her, and she didn't like it. She wasn't good at the communicating thing, and she didn't have the energy to deal with him being angry with her right now.

She sighed as she stood on shaky legs, feeling herself gain small amounts of confidence as she walked towards the door. She was about to pull it open when it swung open before her and she saw Christina and Izzie staring at her. "You need to come with us," Izzie commanded.

"Look, I'm not really in the mood…" she started.

"We know about your day," Christina replied. "Do you really think going home to McDreamy will be better than Joe's?"

Meredith sighed as she looked down at her buzzing cell phone. Derek was calling her, probably wondering when she was going to be ready to go home, but she hit ignore and shoved the phone into her bag.

"Let's go," she said.


	39. Chapter 39

Derek paced the floor of his office, running his hands through his hair. He'd been calling Meredith for the past hour, wondering when the hell she was going to talk to him. Both of their shifts were over, but he had the keys and she couldn't have left without him. He'd searched the locker room and the asked some of the nurses, but no one had seen her. He was beginning to get frustrated as her voicemail came on again, and he threw his phone onto the couch before he slammed his door open and stormed out of his office.

"O'Malley!" he barked, causing George to jump and turn around to look at him expectantly. "Have you seen Meredith?"

George frowned. "Yeah, she left awhile ago with Izzie and Christina," he said. "I think they were going to Joe's."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Of course," he muttered. "Do me a favor, and make sure she makes it home? I'd do it, but…I think she might hurt me. So just make sure she takes a cab?"

"Of course, Dr. Shepherd," George nodded before he turned and walked towards the stairs.

Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. This was the first real fight that they'd had in a long time, and he had to find a way to fix it. He paced his office for a few minutes, running his hands through his hair as he thought, finally stopping in the middle of the room when an idea came over him. With a smile, he grabbed his keys and ran out the door, eager to make things right with his wife.

XXXXX

Meredith sat at the bar at Joe's, fingering her empty water glass. She hadn't even drank at all, and she was instead feeling bad about Derek. She had about twelve missed calls on her phone, and she knew he was worried about her. But she wasn't sure she would be able to talk to him right now. The cold look he had given her when she'd turned to him for help…she couldn't get it our of her head.

Realistically, she knew that Derek had only been doing his job; she'd messed up, and her boss had punished her. But this was the first time in a long time Derek had really had to act like her boss, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

Her phone rang again in her pocket, and with a sigh, she reached for it. She could at least tell him that she was alive.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hey," she heard her husband's equally unenthusiastic tone meet hers. "Mer, I know you're mad, but I just…needed to hear your voice."

"I know," she replied. "And I'm sorry. But I just need some time to cool off, okay?"

"Are you going to come home?" Derek asked quietly.

Meredith sighed. "Of course I am, Derek," she replied. "I just need some time to myself. But I'll be home later, and we'll talk."

"Okay," he paused for a moment before he said, "I love you," not sure whether he wanted to know her response to that.

"I love you too," she whispered, much to his relief.

She snapped her phone shut and turned to look at Christina and Izzie, who were seated beside her. "Is he still mad?" Izzie asked.

"I don't think so," Meredith replied. "I just…it's hard to fight with him."

"You'll get over it," Christina replied with a wave of her hand. "What I want to know is what you're going to do about Mini Grey."

Meredith shrugged. "Well, she knows it's me now," she said. "I guess…I'll just try to get to know her. We'll work it out."

Izzie studied Meredith closely for a moment. "You're sad," she stated.

"I just can't think about anything except that look Derek gave me," she said, with a shake of her head. "He was so disappointed in me, and I hate that I disappointed him."

"I don't think he even realizes how much you needed him to be on your side," Izzie said. "Think about it. He was in a really hard position. He probably felt like he needed to support you, but as his boss, he had to make sure you understood what you did. That's got to kill him, the way he feels about you."

Meredith sat still for a long moment before she grabbed her bag and jumped off the stool. "I have to go," she said. "I have to find him." She started to dart towards the door, finding herself crashing into George when she was halfway there.

"Um, Mer, Derek wanted me to make sure you take a cab home," he said.

Meredith rolled her eyes and tried to push past him. "I'm fine, George, I didn't even drink."

"He was pretty insistent," George replied. "Or, if you want, I could drive you home. If you want."

She tried to move around him again. "Seriously, George, I'm fine," she said. "And if you don't let me go now, I'm pretty sure I could get Bailey to put you in the clinic for a month."

George looked at her for a moment before he finally stepped aside and let her go. "You better tell your husband that I tried!" he yelled after her.

Meredith ignored him as she ran out the door towards her car. She hadn't even been thinking about Derek at all, she'd been too focused on herself, and she was an awful wife. A terrible, awful wife. A good wife would never put her husband in a position like that and then ignore him. She had to find him, find him and tell him she was sorry and she loved him.

XXXXX

Derek was in the living room working on her surprise when he heard her car pull up in the driveway. He smiled slightly as he pictured her reaction, and set down what he was doing, glancing around the room briefly before he moved to the front door and watched his wife get out of her car, confusion written on her face.

"Derek," she said when she saw him standing in the door to their house. "What's going on?"

He smiled as he stepped back to meet her, looking up at their house and the soft glow that cast light on it, taking the form of a castle. "You, my princess, are going to Disney World," he said.

Meredith frowned. "Have you been drinking?" she asked.

"You'll see," Derek said softly, leaning forward to take her hands in his. "I'm sorry, Mer."

"I'm sorry too," she whispered. "I just…I don't know what I was thinking. I needed to know Lexie, but I shouldn't have let that interfere with Mark's surgery. I really am sorry, Derek."

"It's okay," he replied softly, leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips. "For now…we're going to Disney World."

A soft smile appeared on Meredith's lips. "You turned our house into Disney World," she stated.

"I did," Derek replied. "It's where we got engaged, and it's where we made this thing real, made us real. I felt like we could revisit it."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked as she tugged on his hand, pulling him into the house.

"You can't tell Dan about this," Derek said. "I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to touch the unfinished rooms."

She giggled. "I promise," she said as they stepped through her house. She smiled as she saw the hallway, filled with glowing light and pictures from their trip. "Derek, I can't believe you did this," she giggled.

"I did," he said, pulling her to the left towards their unfinished office. "Here we have the Animal Kingdom," he said, ushering inside. She smiled as she saw his laptop set up on the corner in the floor, projecting a video of the safari on the empty white wall. "wonderful," she said. "I feel like I'm there."

"I know," Derek laughed. "And in the playroom," he continued, dragging her across the hall, I have MGM."

Meredith gasped as she stepped in, looking at the pictures of famous movies scenes taped to the wall and the Hollywood stars laying on the floor. "Derek," she laughed as she looked at the names and saw that he had written a name of each of the Seattle Grace surgeons on the stars, her own name in a larger star next to his in the center of the room. "You're amazing."

"I do what I can," he replied. "There's more, come on."

Meredith giggled as she followed him down the hall to the kitchen, where she felt the soft romantic glow, the table set with candles and gentle violin music playing in the background. "Der," she breathed.

"I wanted to recreate the proposal," he whispered from behind her, moving to wrap his arms around her waist and rest a chin on her shoulder. "But…that wasn't exactly the most romantic setting. So I went for the family celebration afterwards."

"It's perfect," she whispered, moving in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied. "There's one more room."

He took her hand and gently led her into the living room. "This," he said, leading her in with a gentle hand on her back. "Is the Magic Kingdom."

Meredith smiled softly as she looked at the soft candlelight of the room. There was a picnic set up on the floor in the middle of the room, and on the TV was a muted Princess movie. She didn't know which one, but she knew Derek was trying to create the feeling of the Magic Kingdom with the pictures of Princesses and Castles that were scattered throughout the room.

"I can't believe you did this," she breathed.

"I wanted to make sure you knew how much I love you," Derek whispered. "I know I was harsh, but…"

"Shh," Meredith whispered, pressing a hand to her lips. "We'll talk about this later, Derek, I promise. But right now, I just want to enjoy this and have this escape."

"Okay," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers. "We can do that."

He pulled her towards the picnic blanket that sat in the middle of the room. "I made lasagna," he said. "I know it's your favorite."

Meredith smiled as she reached for a plate. "How are we supposed to eat lasagna on a carpet?" she asked.

"I figured we could cheat and use the coffee table," Derek shrugged. "Here, have some wine."

"Oh," Meredith said. "Um, Derek, I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

Derek frowned as he handed her a glass. "What?" he asked. "Do you want to start getting a different kind?"

"No, I like this kind," she said as she set the glass aside. "I'm just going to lay off drinking for a little while."

"You?" Derek asked, eyebrows raised. "What brought that on?"

Meredith rolled her eyes. For a brain surgeon, her husband was pretty dense sometimes. "Derek," she whispered, taking his face in his hands. "Wine's not good for the baby."

Derek blinked in surprise for a moment before he broke into a wide smile. "Baby?" he breathed, his hand automatically moving to her stomach. "Really, Mer?"

She nodded eagerly, a smile gracing her lips as she placed a hand over his on her belly. "I found out yesterday. I was going to tell you but then you were on call last night and then today happened, and well…now I'm telling you."

"God, Mer," Derek whispered, pulling her close to him to kiss her deeply. "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you."

Meredith smiled as she leaned her forehead against hers, closing her eyes as she linked her fingers through his. "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered. "God, I love you so much."

"This is it," Meredith whispered. "I never thought this would happen to me. I never thought I would be lucky enough to have such an amazing man love me, and I definitely never thought that I would have kids."

"This is it, Mer," Derek whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "This is our happily ever after."

**Okay, so that's it. I know it's a little unexpected, but I feel like this story has kind of lost its momentum. I want to thank all of you for your support. Your reviews have really helped me make it through this, and I really couldn't have done it without you. So thanks! I'm not sure when my next Grey's story will be, but I hope to see you all there :)**


	40. Chapter 40

**Okay, so hopefully this gives everyone a little more closure with this story. I know you're all disappointed that it's ending, but I just don't know where else to go with it. You're all amazing supporters, and I'm looking forward to writing more. My next story is going to be a little bit of a different approach, but I hope you're all enjoy it :) Thanks for the support!**

Derek smiled down at the baby girl in his arms. He couldn't believe that she was finally here. After seven months of cravings, ultrasounds, and mood swings, and thirteen long hours of labor, his little girl was finally here.

Amelia Elizabeth Shepherd was perfect.

The little girl in his arms sighed as her eyes flitted open, allowing him to see into the precious blue that reflected his own.

"Derek?" he heard his wife whisper softly from the bed. "Der?"

"I'm here, Mer," he said, untangling one hand from the bundle that was cradling his daughter to run through Meredith's hair.

"Is she…"

"She's right here," he said softly as he sat down on the bed. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Yeah," Meredith said softly, her voice still heavy with sleep. She sat up slowly, her eyes widening as her eyes landed on the soft bundle in her husband's arm. "Oh, Der."

"She's perfect," Derek said as he eased Amelia into her arms and wrapped an arm around her.

"Hi, Amelia," Meredith whispered, a tear falling down her cheek as she stroked her baby's face with a gentle finger. "I'm your mommy."

Derek smiled softly as he reached a finger forward for Amelia to suck on. "She's perfect, Mer," he repeated. "Healthy, and completely happy. She hasn't cried at all."

Meredith giggled. "She's an hour old," she said.

"Still, she spent that hour with me," Derek insisted. "She didn't have to cry because she knew her daddy would take care of her."

"She's beautiful," Meredith breathed.

"I know she is," Derek said, resting his chin on her shoulder. "She looks exactly like you."

"Mmmm, she does," Meredith replied, gently reaching up to take Amelia's cap off to reveal a patch of dark hair. "Of course," she giggled.

"It's the Shepherd family trait," Derek laughed. "Hopefully it will be curly too."

Meredith smiled as she ran a finger gently over her daughter's foot. "I can't believe she's here," she breathed.

"How are you feeling?": Derek asked, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Her labor had been a long process, and he wasn't sure that he would even survive to meet his daughter. There had been several points where he'd actually believed Meredith when she said she was going to kill him for getting her to the hospital too late for an epidural.

"Sore," Meredith replied. "But it's worth it."

"It is," Derek replied. "Thank you, Mer. I can't believe that I have a daughter. It's just so amazing."

"It is," Meredith sighed. "Have you seen anyone?"

"No," Derek said. "They brought her in about an hour ago. We had some bonding time."

Meredith nodded. "They're all probably in the waiting room," she said.

"Do you want me to get them?" Derek asked.

"Just the family?" Meredith requested. "Everyone else can see her later."

"Of course," Derek said leaning in to kiss her gently. "Bye princess," he whispered to Amelia. "Be good for Mommy. Daddy will be back soon."

He backed out of the room, unable to wipe the smile off of his face as he made his way towards the waiting room where his family had been sitting for hours.

"Derek," Emma jumped out of her seat and rushed over to her son. "Is she okay? How's Meredith?"

"Mother and daughter are perfect," Derek grinned. "Mer says a couple people can come in. Mark, Lexie? You want to come in with Mom?"

Lexie nodded excitedly as Mark reached for her hand. Somehow, over the past six months, Meredith's sister had managed to tame Derek's brother into what could almost be called a normal person. At least in Derek's opinion.

He led them down the hall towards Meredith's room and poked his head in. "Still okay for visitors?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied, reaching her hand out to him. "She just woke up."

Derek stepped into the room and immediately settled down beside her, smiling as their family filed into the room and crowded around the bed.

"Oh, she's beautiful," Emma breathed. "Hi, Amelia."

"She looks exactly like you," Lexie breathed from her spot in Mark's arms.

"Well, at least we can be grateful for that," Mark said with a smirk.

"Hey," Derek argued. "No making fun of me. This is my day."

"Actually it's your daughter's day," Mark replied. "And seriously, Shep? A little girl with that nose of yours? All the other kids would be scared."

Meredith giggled. "He's right, Der," she said. "Thankfully, she looks like me."

"She has my eyes," Derek defended. "And the Shepherd hair."

"Mmmm," Meredith smiled, looking up at Emma. "Do you want to hold her, Mom?"

"Oh," Emma breathed. "Yes."

Meredith handed her daughter into her grandmother's arms and settled back into Derek's arms as she watched Emma speak softly to her newest granddaughter. She smiled softly as she allowed herself to relish this perfect moment. As she watched her daughter closely, she felt a drop of moisture fall onto her shoulder, and she turned in Derek's arms to look into his tear filled eyes.

"Der…" she breathed. "What is it?"

He shook his head as he tightened his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Nothing," he said, his eyes fixed on his baby girl in his mother's arms. "I just…this is perfection."

She nodded as she squeezed his hand. "It is," she agreed.

"Um, we can leave you alone," Lexie said. "I know this is new and exciting, and you want time alone. But before we go, Mark and I got something for Amelia."

"Lexie," Mark quickly corrected. "Lexie got something for Amelia."

"Whatever," Lexie rolled her eyes, taking the present bag out of Mark's hand and handing it to Meredith.

Meredith smiled as she pulled a teddy bear out of the bag. "Thanks, Lexie," she said. "Amelia will love it."

"Mark and I made it at the mall," Lexie smiled.

"Lexie made it," Mark corrected again. "I watched."

Meredith laughed. "Thank you," she said. There was a pause in the room, and she said, "I'm glad that we've gotten closer over the past couple months."

"Me too," Lexie nodded. "We'll leave you alone, but we'll visit soon, after you bring her home, okay?"

Meredith nodded as she leaned forward to hug her sister. "Of course," she said. "Thanks, Lex."

Lexie hugged her back and turned to tug on Mark's hand. "Let's go call your sisters," she said.

Meredith settled back into Derek's arms and turned her attention her daughter in Emma's arms.

"I think she's starting to get hungry," Emma said as she handed the baby over to Meredith. "Go see your mommy, sweetheart."

Meredith sighed. "Hopefully she won't have any trouble," she said.

"I'll leave you to it," Emma said, leaning forward to kiss Meredith's cheek gently before she moved to wrap her arms around Derek. "I'm so proud of you, darling," she whispered in his ear. "Your father would be too."

Derek blinked back more tears as he hugged her back. "Thank you," he whispered back. "I love you Mom."

"I love you too," she whispered before she turned to walk out of the room, leaving the new family alone in the hospital room.

"She's eating," Meredith said gently as Amelia latched onto her breast.

"Hmmm," Derek whispered. "Does it hurt?"

"Not really," Meredith replied. "Just feels a little weird. Can you…talk? Distract me from it?"

"I can do that," Derek replied, moving off the bed. "I have something for you. Well, more for Amelia, but you'll appreciate it more than she will."

Meredith watched curiously as he pulled a small plastic bag out of the duffel they'd packed for the hospital. With a wide smile, he turned to hold up a tiny purple princess dress. "For her to come home in," he said. "Because she's my princess. And because Disney world means so much to us."

She smiled as she reached out with one hand to run her finger over the soft material. "It's perfect," she replied. "God, Der, I love you."

"I love you too," he replied. "And I love you, my little princess."

Meredith sighed as he sat down on the bed and pulled her into his arms again. "We'll be happy, won't we, Der?" she asked.

"Of course we will," he nodded confidently. "I promise, Mer, we'll always have each other, and Amelia will always have us to love her."

"We'll always be us," Meredith sighed, leaning back in his arms, content in the knowledge that she was safe with him, and her life was now complete. They were perfect together.


End file.
